The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1890-02-20
rHr .rosaer pLAu

rHE STORAGE PLAN.
The Topeka Capital. which In
ci!nes strongly to the belief that the
emergency rate will not beueht the
farmers, hut that the result Of the
concession which the railroads In
Kansas and Nebraska have made to
the people will be to still further de-
press the price NJ corn. finds . solu-
ton OF the problem In the construct
ion Of eaPaeious cribs aud ware
houses at the different railway sta
tions in which the farmers may store
their COZ sud hold Il until the mar
ket will justify them In selling. II
IL proposed to carry out this scheme
by cooperative effort on the part Of
tue farmers, who are tn furnish the
means through their alliances and
organizations for testing this meas
ure of relief. The plan Is to have
bonded weighinasters, who will issue
to the farmers certificates Of storage.
upon which they may obtain surn
advances FROM the lCeal banks ~
their necessities require.
Under the present condition Of AZ
fairs In Kansas 10 IL proper that eV-
cry remedy proposed for the anlel-
ioration at the farmer which Is at all
feasible upon its face shall bs ser-
iou>ly considered. AZ there IL
complication OF causes operating To
deprss- the agricultural Industry IL
10 not To TIE expected that the trouble
can be removed by any single cure.
IL will he found, now that the farm
ers have gone diligently To work TO
discover the resources OF their EN-
baTrassment, that the relief which
they seek will not be instantaneous,
but will come through the appliea-
ton Of different remedies which will
reveal themselves as Au investigation
progresses. The emergency rate IL
at least a move In the right direction,
aud IL need not interfere with the
experiment proposed by the Capital.
Tire loweI charge Of shipment will
not affect the price Of corn in Chi
cago, st. Louis or elsewhere, unless
the consignments To those points are
largely increased, aud the storage
plan - thus really In harmony with
the emergency movement, aud
would aid IN securing To tie farmer
the benefit Of the reduction ia freight
rates. There -, however, bOund to !
be a greater Or les movement of corn !
to market, and u IL L. not 50 rapid as
To oyerstock the terminal points, and |
cause a serious decline in prices, the |
Iarmer will certainly he benefited.
There II much In the storage pro-
position Of the Capital which com !
nends 10 to favorable attention. Ifl
ID could be carried into operation IL |
would enable the producers to hold |
their crops aud thus maintain a |
check upon their spectators aud |
niddlemen. hut IL IL doubtful |
whether the farmers Of Kansas are
at present In condition IL avail them !
selves Of Ibis means Of lettering
their condition. The want Of money |
which cumPels them To sell their J
corn at figure which scarcely COW
ers the cpst of it, production would
prove a serious lIindTance in the way
Of building cribs aud warehouses for
storing u. IL IL to be feared that the
farmers cannot make this expert
ment v ithout the aid Of other inter
esIs which are concerned, in an al
most equal degree, ia the result.
Since the profitable employment OF
capital. in all OF it, Yarinu- forms,
hinges upon the condition oi agricul-
tuTs, the banker, the merchant aud
the carrier. are all involved with the
farmer ia the solution Of the prob
lem which cDnirnnts the people Of
Kansas The instinct Of self prc-er-
walton makes the cause of the farmer
the cause Of every man 81 gagged In
rOmuieTciEl pursuits. This IL not a
question of philanthTupy-i il a
plain matter Of business The eoIu-
muuities which depend upon the
farmer-aud there Is no community
which does not-must help him he
cause they cannot get along without
him. At Marion, Kas., leading
banking establishment IL construct
ing cribs which will hold Tx, 90
bushels of corn, in which the farm
ers, who do not wish to sell at the
present prices may store portion Of
their crops as collateral, upon which
the bank advances money. This IL
following out the idea of the rccip-
rocity of interest existing between
tue capitalist aud the farmer, and
this practice must become general
la Kau-ss before there il n peTmah-
ent revival Of agriculture in that
state.
An ultimate advance in the price
OF corn is q pretty safe thing To count
on. IL IL not likely that the country
Hill witness soon again surh an eN
ceptiOnal season as IL experienced
last year II IL exceedingly seldom
that corn in all sections Of the coun-
try turns out such yield rs IL did
last fall In all Of the states which
lead In the production Of that cereal.
A diminutiOn of the supply this
year would inevitably advance
prices, aud there Il no reason to fear
that the present weak condition Of
market will lie maintained for any
considerable period. At the prevail |
Ing prices corn would seem tn afford |
ample security to capital for loans to |
the farmer, who must suffer cOnfis- |
lcatiOn Of his crop unless he can |
make some arrangement to secure |
an advance upon 10. No business |
can prosper upon the adversely Of |
the farmer, and the question for cap /
italists and the railroads aud the
mercantile interest to consider Is
whether they will lend n helping /
hand TO the agricultural producers
by aiding them In an experiment
which 10 IL believed would bridge
over their present necessities and
place them upon their feet, or by
Withholding such succOr, allow the
farmer to go to the wall. IL IL q ser
ious problem and II succeeds la grav-
iiy any issue which has presented
itself for consideration since the set
Element of the state. It II the judg-
ment of the Star thst the storage
plan presents practical features
which are worthy Of trial, and that
II will eOnduce to q general stimula-
ton Of business In Kansas IL the
means can be supplied to the farmers
for carrying out such an undertake
ing.-E. c. Star.