The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-09-21
One Way Of Robbing Farmers.


4Ol Baltimore Building,
st. Paul.
One Way of Robbing Farmers.
This office has received several complaints
ana requests for advice from the farm
ers of the Northwest who are being svs
tematically robbed by the Elevator Com
plle. We have taken pains to inyesti-
gate lew OF those complaints and find
tndt IN nearly every instance the farmers
themselves have contributed to their own
misfortune by their lack of patriotism and
| support of their own elevator enterprses
| we ind a sad lack of cO-operation in nat
ronlzng Farmers Elevators or .Inde-
pendent Elevators, that are not owned or
| controlled by the elevator combine, and as
| result of this lack of patronage we find
the independent elevator doing business at
a loss, which eventually results in closing
the elevator or leasing it to the combine for
! a long time at nominal rental, thus Sc
curing Tor the combine the removal of the
| only competition which it could not con-
troll We have taken further pains to
compare the prices paid to farmers at
stations where the Independent or farmers
elevator was In healthy operation. and dis
covered that such station were paying 3
to . cents per bushels more than at stations
where the combine held full sway Now
these are facts and can be proved. And
! as the amount reaches such enormous pro-
portions we have determined to place the
matter before the farmers of the North
west in series Of articles and request
the agricultural press to publish them. The
very existence of mo competition has the
influence Of bearing the market for sew
eral stations either side of the Glow
price station. as this price is quoted to
farmers at other stations to indicate to
them that they are getting more than other
localities.
This system of "bearing' the price at
the farmers local station is estimated to
mean at least cents per bushel upon the
entire crop of the Northwest of zoo 600 900
bushels. which would mean Sc, COO 900 an
nually that would remain in the pockets
OF the farmers il they would act together
instead Of which it goes to enrich vast
trusts and combines whose head office is
the Bank OF England, and who keep their
accounts in pounds, shillings and pence
VIII the farmers ever learn to be wise?
They have the remedy in their own hands.
A gigantic conspiracy has been Matched
in England and instructions sent to their
agents throughout the world to bear the
price of wheat gradually until in the very
despair of the farmer, he will throw his
Wheet on the market in such vast vol
umeS that he contributes to his own doom
in assisting the conspira tors to rob him
of his substance. 1t is a remarkable fact
that farmers sell upon a falling market and
the greater the decline in prices the greater
the volume Of his sales
wish to put our judgment up before the
farmers of the country being infallible.
we would most respectfully call their at
tention to the history of the past for the
conclusions We have arrived at, these con-
illusions based upon the record for Is
years
During all this period the rule is I'M
broken that the price of wheat was lower
from to 80 cents at the opening of the
September market than the closing sea-
sons crop.
All large farmers who can take wisdom
from past experience hold their wheat
until that time of year when the price is
generally the highest before they market it,
See what a God-send this would have
been IT the crop of the Northwest was
held back from marketing at 60 cents per
bushel when the bulk of the crop was
thrown upon the market in the early fall
of 1897, to realize the high prices Of $15O
10 81. in May of 1898.
Another great advantage of holding back
the crop is this. that 1t prevents the gam
blers from manipulating the market, as
they are at loss to know what amount
of the crop is held back and the visible
supply chat in the elevators) always af-
fects the price If the visible supply is
small the market has bullish tendency; If
large, it has bearish tendency.
Our advice is given on this subject for
what ii is worth, and if it should prove
reverse to what we have stated it will be
at the ratio of 16 to 1 in it's favor. Is it
worth the experiment? We would advise
every farmer to hold his crop until the
spring months. Go on and do your stack
ing threshing. blowing and fall work and
hold your wheat to market in the winter
or spring
To those who must have money to meet
their present necessities go to your local
bank and borrow what you need at s. 6 or s
per cent. giving your wheat in the granary
as security Gf you must give security and
you will find that this arrangement will
pay you back % to 80 per cent for this
transaction by the enhanced market for
the sale of your crop in spring. rather than
in the fall
This plan has been in successful opera
ton in the state of Kansas for several
years and the farmers of that state are
practically out of debt. as the report Of
the bank examiner of the state Of Kansas
says: There are millions of dollars of idle
cash in the banks of the rural districts
begging for investment at 4 per cent and
takers
A vigorous and determined effort is be-
ing made by the National Farmers AL
lance and Industrial Union to revive and
organize the farmers of the Northwest and
place them upon a business foundation,
same as in Kansas and other Southern
states. This plan. in brief. is the reverse
of the plan in vogue in states where the
alliance plan is in operation.
The farmer is the keystone of the whole
edifice. Instead of throwing his crop on
the market he sends in sample of his
grain to the business agency Of the all-
ance, whose business is great that the
boards of trade comes to the agency and
bids for the wheat. and if satisfactory the
farmer. or farmers elevator, sells; if not,
he holds it until it is satisfactory.
There is no reason why this same con-
dition should not exist in Minnesota. and
we are happy to state that the prospect
for placing this state on this footing is
now almost assured Our state organizer
has travelled thousands of miles in the
past few weeks and met the farmers and
interviewed the officers and directors of
great many farmers and Independent ele-
vators. and in every instance they have
welcomed the plan with pleasure and en-
thusiasm and have demonstrated their zeal
and earnestness by accepting the office of
local county organizers of the alliance.
Upon the return OF State Lecturer and
Organizer Eric Olson from Cincinnati
earnest, systematic and vigorous steps
will be taken to organize every community
where grain is marketed by the forma-
ton Of a local alliance. and the establish
ment of farmers elevators or warehouses.
We want the active cooperation of the
farmers to assist in this matter.
Write in to this office for a date and a
visit from one Of our state officers who
will explain the plan IN detail.
Yours respectfully,
J. c. HANLEY,
National Organizer F. A. and 1. U. of A.