Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-07-24
ROUGH ON BEARS"
The Great Alliance Corner in
Wheat Begins Work.
ACTIVE OPERATIONS INAUGURATED

st. Paul Made Headquarters of the Move
ment and an Army of Clerks Busy
Sending Out Circulars Explaining the
scheme and Showing Its Feasibility
TIE Crop Situation at Home and
Abroad Declared Very Favorable for a
Squeeze of the Speculative Bear
s.. PAUL, July 24-St. Paul has been
made the headquarters of national move
ment by the Farmers Alliance of the
country TO corner the entire wheat crop Of
the United States. At 317 Wabasha street
for several days large force of employees
has been engaged in sending out circulars
with the view of having not only the ALI
ance men OF the United States, but all
classes of farmers, keep back their wheat
crop until the bears have all been killed
off and prices have been advanced to a
high point. In other words, the Alliance
press bureau and state press bureau are
working together, endeavoring to unite
the farmers of the United States in gi-
ganJic wheat trus;, in which the producer
shall be the stakeholder, and by which the
Spectator and wheat buyer will be
squeezed to the wall.
Headed by an Alliance Editor.
AT the head of the movement is George
NJ. Muller, editor of The State, and prom
lnent Alliance man, A circular reciting
the benefits of combination and urging
the formation of the trust, has been made
public. The circular estimates the wheat
crop of 1891 in the United States at 500
100000 bushels. The promoters of the
farmers wheat trust believe that four
fifth OF this wheat can be held back by the
farmers IN nv
which time it is thought that prices will
have gone skyward. Lists bearing the
names of the secretaries of every Alliance
In the United States are now in the hands
of Mr.. Muller. and the circular has been
sent to the Alliances of most of the wheat
growing states
The circular goes on to say that the
"home consumption has increased with the
population, and is certainly over $50, 600
COO bushels probably $50, OOO, OO0 which
leaves us 10000, 600 for export During
the last ten years we exported 127, 900 900
yearly in average of which Europe re-
! ceived l01 ,000OO0 and the West Indies and
South America 20, 600 600. This year we may
have 10000 G0 more to spare, which, how
ever, Will 90 to South America on account
OF he reciprocity treaties, and Europe
will receive the average quantity of about
|
have no reserves TO draw upon
A short Crop in Europe.
u his would make both ends meet there
if Europe had a good average crop: but
Europe has not good average crop; in
fact II has the worst crop failure of the
century. Last winter was phenomenal all
over Europe IN its severity and duration.
Snow and ice covered even Italy and Spain
and We're actually carried far into Africa
Vessels on the Mediterranean came into
port thickly covered with ice and this alb
normal weather worked incalculable dam
age to the winter wheat in all the coun-
| tries of the continent"
Urged to Embrace the Opportunity.
The circular discusses generally the
| condition of the foreign crop and tells the
| farmers how to take advantage of the sit
uation to get the full value of their prod
uct. There will be very few, indeed, ;" the
circular suggests, unwilling to hold
| off TO see what will become of this move.
| as in view of the situation prices could
never be lower; hut even if one-half or
more of the farmers should he persuaded
by the arguments of railroad and elevator
men to rush their wheat to market, the
result would be the same, for if a consid-
eratle number of those who are in the
I
| little while the farmers deliveries would
fall short of requirements, and the effect
would be the same as if no wheat had
! beer brought in at all"
Opposition from IGnatius.
President Ig1atius Donnelly. of the Min.
nesota state Farmers Alliance. has just
published an open letter to members in
| opposition to the scheme. Mr.. Donnelly
bases his opposition to the combination OF
farmers on the ground that if the farmers
held their wheat any length of time it
! would only lead to the market being
| eventually glutted with it. Every farmer
would be attempting to sell at the same
time. Prices would quickly drop to ruin.
Gus figures and the last condition of the
agriculturist would be worse than the
| first
! HIS INTENTION WAS CORRECT