The Opelousas courier., 1892-10-15
orELousAs, LA, Oct. 9, 1892

! The cost of erecting rice mills III St. Ian
( dry and Acadia will be far less to the farmers
than the sacrifice of the rice crop of this
year. Much Of it has been disposed of al.
ready by them, but all is not yet lost. Some
/ may be saved, but decision and effort are
necessary. Mere talk cannot build mills
-Denunciation of combines will not increase
or raise. the market price of rice Farmers
4 may exhaust all the powers of ten languages
10 express their regrets aud indignation, aud
the quotations will remain about the same.
ihey must go to work by concerted and har.
monlons action. and show that they cannot
ne made TO longer endure the system of rob-
berry they thus far have been forced to sub.
NIT to, They have practical, feasible
means Of self-defence and should resort to
/ 10 without q. day of delay Let me suecinetly
mention. Call a mass meeting in each par
isl at the most central md accessible points.
hstabilsh Or organize mill companies, sub.
scribe stock. Fix the shares at $40.
LET the farmers small and large subscribe.
1 The sums required TO be taken from their
! crops are not the 4tll part of that they must
lose by permitting the trade to continue as
j it now stands If the farmer makes 100 bar
rels Of rice subscribe IS of it. The remaining
70 will pay him more than the 100 sent to
| the mills in N. Orleans
lie will have his proportioned interest in
the pro fits of the cooperative mill and it
! will stand there through the years to come.
/ He can thus be perpetually protected against
iutnre combines. Large planters should take
stock In proportion to their means. Thus he
/ who raises 1900 barrels should Subscribe 800
! bbls on the basis suggested.
The cost of the mill will of course deter
| mine the number Of necessary shares to build
/ ii. 70 these mills the farmers rice can be
! taken, decorticated and placed onithe market
i of the world Our grocers wilI either buv if
for their own speculation or will sell it on
! commission Should neither means of dis.
! posing of it prove desirable or ADEQUATE the
/ farmers may still ship it to other markets
| than New Orleans and have some voice in
/ fixing the price. As- matters now stand
! they are yoiceless "a n tomb stone and as
/ helpless as dead lamb There is no wis.
1 DOM ,4nn good policy, no manhood in this
| Farmers, subscribe aud pay your own mouey
/ and erect your own mills by cooperation
! Let me beg You not to reIv upou othera doing
I that for you which you should and will not
| do for yourselves The gods help those who
help themselves. Don't expect, hope for
| or ask the merchants of Opelousas and Crow.
| ley to pnt up the mills, for if they do it with
their individual capital you will be no better
| off than ron noytAre, They will do no better
than the combines are doing In New Orleans,
|, Get them to take stock and thereby helm
| You. This they are no dnnbt willing and
ready to do, but be careful to keep ryour
| hands in your own business. vour finrer in
your own. pfc Say these merchants will
help you because EVERYONE knows that they
desire. honestly wish TO see Won become
prosperous. Thrifty. PROSPEROUS prodncers
make priurelRperchants There is not one
of them who does not know that he cannot
gain money by trading with. monevless. man.
He Is therefore Interested IN yonr nros,,erify
and being So viii helD YOU in sueh an enter,
nrisa as Isnggest II he ,nnst erec, tbe ,o;ii.
aud onerate fRem alone he viii natnralIy an.
de;1vf,r p make tbe mos nassible hv III II.
yestfI1e,,t This is nreeisely what vo;I will do
If you erect them, In the one case a few
merchants NAV become suddenly wealthy
In the other the farmers can be made steadily
nrosnerous and always inaependent Of co,r.
bines. -. 80
The money now said IN New Orleans for
dav laborers. etc To run the mills ran he
kent here among ynn, and hera ba snant