The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-05
A FARMERS TRUST.
THE IDEA is TO RAISE CROPS ONLY
FOR CONSUMPTION.

story That the Farmers Are Ready
to Form "A Combination to Limit
the PrOductiOn-TheOry Is That
Eventually People Who Are Not in
the Pool Must Import Everything.
From the Chicago mes-Herald.
Toledo, o., April 1.-Farmers are trying
to form trust. 1t is to spread all over
the land and if the present plans are car
ried out not a dollars worth of farm pro-
duce of any kind will be sold for general
consumption.
In a nutshell, the idea is for farmers
to limit their crops to the actual living
needs of members of the trust
The idea is a beautiful one The or
ganization is secret, oath-bound and its
principles are known just now to only a
select few outside of those directly con-
cerned in its development. According to
the promoters, however, the country is
practically in condition to be placed in the
grip of this remarkable combine.
An accident revealed the existence of
the farmers trust. Significantly, just
about the time it was announced that q
Kansas man had cornered the onion mar
Brown" and registered from Johnstown,
Pa, put up at the jefferson hotel in this
city. He turned out to be quite big
man in the new trust, being no other than
a national organizer.
Mr.. Brown was here few days-and
was very mysterious. Then he went away
and forgot all his important papers. In
black and white were all the details of
| the trust for farmers The plot was beau
tifully worked out and not the merest
little bit was missing. In brief, accord
| ing to the scenario, the present condition,
| aims, objects and ambitions of this bu-
collie trust are:
Lancaster, Pa. was its birthplace. 1t
saw the light there some months ago and
| was Incorporated under the laws of New
| Jersey as the Agricultursts National Pro-
| tective Association. The supreme body is
made up of one representative from each
| state whose duties are similar to those
| of a board of directors of an ordinary cor
| poraton. Each state has a subordinate
| board of directors, consisting of one rep
| resentatVe from each congressional dis
| trict. Each district, in turn, is governed
| by board of two members from each
| county. Each county is under the imme-
| date control of a board, ranging from five
| to eleven in number, who direct the move
ments of the township organizations.
| 1t is the purpose to do nothing this year
in the way of controlling the markets, be-
| cause the organization is not yet complete.
| Next year, however, the crops will be linn
| tied to the actual living needs of the men,
| bers of the organization.
| If the plan is carried out, not a dollars
worth of farm produce of any kind will
| be sold for general consumption, it being
| the purpose to compel the people to i'm
| port all of their food products
| 1t is believed that by this means the
| power Of the association can best make
| itself felt.
After 1898 the idea is that there will be
| erected or rented in each county, in such
| numbers and so located as may seem best
and most convenient storehouses in which
| all products for the market will be placed.
| These will be in control of the county
| board of directors.
| From these warehouses the products will
| be shipped as the state and national direc-
| tors may order, and the quantities of
| goods sold in the immediate neighborhood
| will be regulated somewhat after the plan
| of the anthracite coal combine.
But it is in the raising of crops that the
| organization intends to show it's strength;
| instead, as now, of every farmer raising
| wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, fruits, etc, on
| one farm, the land will be apportioned on
| a larger scale one farmer producing Moth
| ing but wheat, another nothing but oats,
and so on.
Whenever there are indications of over
| production a certain quantity of land will
| be withdrawn from cultivation, its owner
| being compensated for whatever loss he
| suffers through idleness. No owner or ten
| ant of land will be debarred from raising
such variety and quantity of products
as he may need for himself, but he will not
be allowed to dispose of anything except
that which he is ordered to produce by
| the organization.
| The system of dividing the proceeds of
| sales is somewhat complicated but 1t APP
pears to be absolutely just and to provide
for much better financial results to the
farmer than the present individualistic
system of raising everything and selling
what he can at such prices as ne can get
for it,
The scheme so far has not taken into
k account anything but that department of
the organization which relates to the rails
ing of grain and other products of the
soil. There is, however, a provision for
stock farming along the same general
lines, the central idea being the limitation
of the product and its control by the or
Ganzation for the sake of keeping prices
up to the highest possible point
| II is declared by those who claim to
know that almost every state in the union
| has been organized or is in process of or
| ganization, and that the farmers have
! taken readily to this wonderful plan.
| Jonas Stanbury has been made the head
and front of the embryo trust In this sec
| ton. This appointment was made by MIR.
| Brown" who lost his papers, but who,
while here, held significant conferences
| very often with Mr. Stanbury, former
| Representative Charles T.. Griffin and
| others, who are believed to be in active
| cooperation with the builders of the
/ trust.
The oath by which the actual holders
| of the secret are bound IS so curdling,
| however. that nobody is willing yet to vo-
| late II and talk about the remarkable
| trust.
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