The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-05-13

Scarcity. Lu6 46|G "A"" 'AOA0 ID SLOoV
economy in large storage needs no
special demonstration, as every n
INNS, know or realize that the actual
cost of onstructing a single house
suitable for storing a million bushels
of grain is much less than to build
two hundred houses that would hold
five thousand each, but the economy
in the actual cost of the building is
not the only economy of large stor-
age. There is a great saving in the
quantity of houses, and it is a we'll
known fact that grain is much better
housed and preserved in well built
and conducted elevators than in the
ordinary farm granary. 1t is not only
better preserved from the weather,
but from leakage and waste, and from
rats and mice; none of these causes
produce any waste in a well-conducted
elevator. Large storage also enables
the application of machinery, which
is attended with greater economy in
handling, a very important item Of
expense for such bulky products.
Large storage also makes the entire
product available at all times, in spite
of bad roads and foul weather, and
the reserve being always available has
a tendency to prevent fluctuations and
corners; a true economy of such great
value as to be beyond estimate.
The fact that there would be a
great economy in local freights, if the
warehouse system provided for in this
bill be established, is n easily under
stood. One of the greatest expenses
now attending the transmission of the
crop from producer to consumer, is
that attending the concentration of
large quantities of farm products in
the cities. To do this the product
must pay local freights often equal to
a through rate for many times the
distance. These pay city prices for
handling and rehandling, storage and
insurance, which in the very nature
of things must be comparatively high,
and practical all can be obviated by
the county warehouse proposed in
this bill, because it entirely super
cedes the necessity for concentration
in the cities. By means Of the modern
facilities for the quick transmission of
intelligence and the rapid transporta-
ton of freight, the product is just as
effectually upon the markets of the
world in the large country town, with
railroad and telegraph, as it would be
if stored in the largest city, and
further, this system accords more
perfectly with the most modern de-
velopment of railway manipulation.
Railways have combined in spite of a
violent sentiment in opposition, and
are still combining, and will continue
to combine on the irrefutable ground
that by combining they can improve
the service and lessen the expense.
This warehouse system proposes to
make available to the people the true
benefits that should flow from railway
combinations, by utilizing these great
systems in getting through rates OF
freight from all points to all the great
markets of the world. Should this
create a tendency to stop the growth
of large cities, and be a correspond,
ing stimulant to the small city and the
large country town, it will be a very
desirable state of affairs for a number
of years, and will in the end provide
a better foundation for the greater
growth of the large cities. Another
economy that will flow from saving
the expense now incurred for Local
freights is, the product is held in its
home county till demanded for actual
consumption; it is, therefore, always
ready for any route, and an excess is
never shipped out as a result of the
demand for money, which before the
next crop is made must be replaced
by shipments back to make up the de
iciency. These are all true economies
that certainly attend this measure, but
by far the greatest economy attending
the agricultural feature of the meas
ure is the provision whereby the
product as soon as prepared for mar,
ket is made available as capital tc
meet obligations and supply wants.
without being subjected to a forced
sale regardless of price. 1t is made
available in this bill by providing that
the government shall take possession
of it for the producer and preservr it,
as it now does whisky for the whisky
men, until demanded for consumption,
and that when the government takes
possession of this, the most potential
form of all value, because life de.
mands it all for consumption every
year, it shall issue against it up to so
per cent. of it's local value treasury
notes, which are IN obligation to pay
) on the part of the government equal
} to the value it holds in storage. This
} is certainly not lending money on the
part of the government, because its
} outstanding notes are a liability, not
! an asset Tho nrO5,,oor - I;no