The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-05-16
THE GRAIN GROWERS.
The Farmers in Convention Will
Defend Themselves.

| The Farmers in Convention Will
| Defend Themselves.
In the foregoing will be found a
call for Grain Growers Convention.
to be held shortly in Minneapolis.
This is the most important move
ment for the farmers ever made in
the Northwest. 1t will, we hope,
constitute the beginning of new
kepoch. Heretofore the agricultural
kclass has been at the mercy of these
swho prey upon it, The farmers were
scattered, isolated, divided; while
ktheir enemies were united in solid
Iphalanx. Let us get together and
ksee what can be done to put stop to
ithis condition of things. 1t may be
Eve will be able to do nothing. But
lat least the cause is worth an effort.
What can be done?
Many valuable suggestions have
Sbeen made by correspondents of the
IREPREsENTATIvE. Suppose some
Thing like this should be attempted?
The REPRESENTATIVE has an Of
Ifce in the Boston Block, Mime
hapolis. We could give desk room in
1T, free of charge, until the ex-
pertinent proved a success.
Then at our Convention let all who
ATTEND chip in what they can afford,
from ten cents to five dollars:-that
money to be used to pay the expen-
.ses of an agent-a Sccretary-who will
stay in Minneapolis; also to pay for
stationery, printing, and postage.
aLet the Secretary agree to work for
month or two without charge, save
his expenses, and after that to have
a reasonable salary. Then let the
convention elect a Board of Man
ayers, under whose orders the Secre-
| ,tary should work.
Then let the Secretary send out
| circulars to every local alliance, and
ask it to assemble and report:
IA /. Are its members willing to Or
| ganize for self-protection?
2. Will they agree to sell their
wheat through the Association, if
the price is satisfactory?
3. Give the names and postot1ice
of members, and the amount of acres
each one will have in wheat; and the
dates at which they will probably de-
sire to sell; and what proportion of
their crop they will want to sell at
those dates.
4. Are they willing to pay cent
per bushel, on the amount sold
through the Association, if it is evi
dent that the price has been raised
at least that much, through the eff
forts of the Association; the money
to be expended in paying the expen-
ses of the society; and, if any is left,
in renting or building an elevator or
warehouse at Duluth
|
tablish branches in other states,
where desired.
| 1t could also designate, upon the
an agent in each county, as suggest
ed by one of our correspondents who
might sell the entire crop of that
county. Now the farmers rush their
wheat in and compete with each 9th
| er to break down prices. Then all
| such competition would cease, and
the buyers would have to compete
with each other to get the wheat or
| go without. If the buyers lin any
county combined and refused to bid,
the central society at Minneapolis
would have been negotiating with
Minneapolis, st. Paul, Duluth, Buff
| falo, New York and Liverpool, TO
find the highest prices obtainable;
and could ship accordingly, leaving
the local buyers in the lurch. If the
movement was made general we
could smash all the ''bears" and "op-
ton Dealers in the United States,
by flooding the market or starving
it, as might seem best.
Two things would be necessary.
1. Honesty in agents.
2. Common sense in the grain
growers. If we attempted to put
wheat too high we would smash the
movement.
Get together, bretheren, in conven-
tion and let us talk these things all
over. Come by trains, and teams
and on foot-but come.
To Correspondents.