The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-07-28
HOLD YOUR E
Advice Which is Being Sent to the Farm
ers of the West.

w NV
Treasury Scbeme-Tbe Plan
of the Saint Paul State.
The pointer is being sent out to the
Allan e wheat raisers of the West that
a substantial reward will follow if they
will hold on to the product of their
wheat fields as long as possible. The
a for this supposition is plainly
and forcibly given by The State, an
Alliance newspaper of st. Paul. That
paper has undertaken to distribute
1000, 600 or more copies of a supple
ment setting forth honestly and con-
servatively the opportunity the farm
ers now have of helping themselves on
account of certain conditions of the
food supply, and especially that Of
wheat, These circulars will reach mil
lions of farmers within the next few
days.
The following is an extract from the
circular:
The greatest competitor of the
farmer is the speculatOr, and his COM
petition is not at all fair, because he
sells what he has not got, and a sell
unlimited quantities, while the farmer
has no more to offer than nature grants
him. The Spectator sells for delivery
in any month of the year, and there
foremakes it unnecessary for the actual
consumer, the miller and exporter to
Law in such stock as he may consider
reasonably sufficient for his require
ments. The farmer coming in with
actual grain finds most of his customers
supplied by the Spectator with
promises to deliver. He has no choice
but to sell to the elevator man at a
lower price than the Chicago specula-
tor has offered his promises.
ct is a competition between grain
and wind, in which the wind has the
advantage, as the wind crop is never
short. The farmer is told that it is best
for him to sell as quickly as possible;
that there is a superabundance of
wheat; that Europe will pay no more,
and that if the United States will not
sell it Europeans would buy of other
countries, who would be glad to have
the trade.
"Now there m in the swindle.
India is the only country that has any
wheat to sell to Europe, namely, about
35, 600, 900 bushels per year. All that
they have to spare is shipped or con
tracted for long before Our crop comes
into the market, and supplies only a
small portion of the IA. 600. 900 bushels
yearly imported by England alone.
People talking about Egypt, Australia,
Argentine Republic, etc as cOmpeti
tors with American wheat are either
ignorant or lie, for all these countries
together have not enough surplus for
export to Europe to feed it for three
days. This manipulation has robbed
the farmers of this country of $780,
900, 600 in the last three ears.
From 1884 to 1887 the crops of
Europe and America were in excess of
the consumption, and a low price for
wheat was quite natural, but during
the last three years the crops though
very fair. were not equal to the require
ments, which is proved by the steady
decrease of the reserves which at pres
ent are practically nothing or hardly
sufficient to reach the new crops. With
this deficiency In crops thoroughly
known, wheat should have brought
very fair prices during the last three
years, according to the laws of supply
and demand. Now this year seems to
be specially favorable to our farming
interest. Our wheat crop promises to
be good, the European crops are worse
than they ever nave been and the re
serves Ire exhaus, ed. The crop failure
has been 50 extraordinary that nearly
all European governments are alarmed.
and are now taking steps to ward off
famine. Europe never raises as much
wheat as it needs, and with fair crops
during the last three years it has used
up it's reserves and all that America
and India could supply.
"Our exporting capacity has greatly
decreased by the in~creasein population,
and we would not be able to spare
Europe from four good crops what it
will be short this year alone. Under
such circumstances it is certain that
the true value of wheat is greater than
ever before. The way of legislation is
too slow to save this crop from being
sacrificed at ridiculOusly low prices,
and it is not likely that another such
chance for the farmer will present it
self again in a lifetime.
There is, however, another remedy,
simple, effective and entirely within
control. Resolve, for instance, that in
view of the condition Of the worlds
crop a minimum price of $1.35 for
wheat in New York is moderate and
conservative, and hat members of
your organization pledge themselves
not to market their wheat at lower
prices unless they are under contract,
and that they will use their best efforts
with friends and neighbors outside of
the organization also to act on your
resolutions.
''ResoIUed, also, that the State Ali
ances form a committee, which shall
keep itself posted about the state of
the worlds markets, and from time to
time notify the farmers of the changes
taking place and advise them on the
minimum prices that they may reason
ably insist upon. We will give you
our reason for arriving at this figure,