Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1891-03-10
Topeka Topics.

movement is to form huge grain and
live stock trust, including Nebraska.
Kansas, Missouri and Iowa. Frank
McGrath, president of the farmers al
lance, thinks that the project is one OF
the results of the failure of the alliance
legislatures to pass certain bills.
1--WE have discovered" said he, 'that
legislation is too slow, and if we wait
for the achievement of our plans in that
direction men of my age will never see
it,"
Mr.. McGrath says that district al
liances are being formed in every con-
gressiOnal district and provisions being
made for building cold storage and
grain depots. Each district alliance
will be made up of delegates from SUBJ
alliances. In this way a constant COM
munication from individuS' re nbers Of
the alliance is to be had.
eve will know how many cattle each
individual member of the alliance has
on hand,p said Mr.. McGrath, "and he
can hold them without selling for need
of ready cash. A record of these facts
will be kept. No individual member
will sell his grain to option men or
bankers, but when he is obliged to sell
the grain will be taken by the alliance.
The same thing will follow with cattle.
We will have agents in KOnsas City,
who will keep the district alliance
posted as to the market and the de-
mand. Upon the information the de-
mand will be supplied, and no more, at
fixed price determined by the alliance.
mo wheat will be on the market un-
less it is actually to be had and has
been produced. There will be no spec
ulating on the grain before the harvest
has come The four states in this trust
VII practically control the wheat and
cattle markets of the UniteS States.
The commission each dav will wire
farmers to send in certain amount Of
wheat or cattle as the case may be, call
ing on the ones who are the hardest
pressed for cash. The amount de-
handed to supply the market that day
will be apportioned among the districts
equally in turn apportioned by the dis
trict alliance. No farmer who is AMEN
Der of the alliance will sell his products
till called upon. BY this plan wheat
would not be 81 one day and SO the next,
nor cattle 3 cents and again 81.
"Other state alliances are expected to
Join later. The hardest thing we have
TO deal with is fixing the price. We
mean to find the exact cost of the pro-
duct and add reasonable profit to it.
This will be hard to ascertain, as some
farmers and stockraisers can produce
more economically than others. But
we will decide upon standard and the
price will be maintained.
"The banker will not antagonize this
movement, as it is not going to injure
him. If you don't think the scheme is
to be success imagine, if you can, what
would happen in Kansas City If the
farmers heldup cattle for one week.
The great packing houses would be
obliged to close at great loss. The
business of the city and of the entire
state would be crippled. We have sta
tistics which show that Kansas produces
three-fourths of the stock killed in Kan
sas City.
''The new scheme is modelled in de-
tail after the whisky trust OF course
you will say that our principles will not
admit of it, but we have decided that
we must fight the devil with fire; that
is, we must fight trusts and combina
tions with trusts and combinations.
"While the scheme will reverse mat
tiers by putting the stockmen and grain
men at our mercy, we do not think any
injury will result. The scheme looks
visionary, perhaps, but assure you
that it will surely be 60, although we
have not got many of the details under
way yet and are not ready to begin OPP
erations. am receiving letters every
day from the sub-alliances of the states,
all of which favor the plan"
Topeka, March 2.-The house, in
of the whole, this morning
reported favorably for passage the bill |