The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-25
FARMERS TRUST.
Walter n. Allen Is Busy Organ
iZing One.
To Be Called Farmers FEEDER
alton of Mississippi Valley"
LARGE WAREHOUSES;
Will Be Used For Storage of the
Products.
Farmers Can Then Tell Spec
uIatOrs to Whistle.
Capital Stock Is to Be Placed
at $2O,OOO,OOO.
LARGE WAREHOUSES;

Walter N. Allen, the well-known
farmer and politician of Meriden, will
shortly issue an address calling upon
the farmers of the western and middle
states to form themselves into a trust
for the control of farm products, par
ticularly wheat and corn.
Mr.. Allen is now in Topeka preparing
his address. His scheme is gigantic in
proportions, and is identical with that
which was attempted to be started
eleven years ago. but which met it's
death at the hands of the Farmers
Alliance.
The trust which Mr.. Allen will at
tempt to form will bear the name of
1.-The Farmers Federation of the Mis-
sissippi Valley" This was the name Sc
lected at the time the movement was
first originated, and it appeared in the
charter secured at that time. This
charter is to be revived, additional
stockholders are to be selected, and in
corporation is to be carried out.
Mr.. Allen is very much in earnest
about his scheme. He believes he sees
a way to band the farming element to-
gether for mutual protection in the sale
of farm products. He proposes to make
every farmer a member of the fedora
ton by the payment of 81, and then
start the scheme by the issuance of de-
benture bonds instead of stock certifi-
Gates. He holds that the plan of issu-
ing debenture bonds solves the prob
lem of double liability, which he says
would overwise be a drawback in start
ing the movement.
The charter provides for the estab-
lishment of warehouses and elevators
in Kansas City, Omaha, Chicago. Gin
cinnati, Indianapolis and other cities,
and here the products will be collected
and stored. The selling will be done
by agents of the trust, and the prices
Will be absolutely controlled by the
amount of supplies placed on the mar
ket.
Mr.. Allen says that in a short time
after the formation of the trust it will
crowd the commission men out of bust
ness and have the entire field of sup
plying the country with the products
of the farm to itself.
He hopes to make every detail of his
scheme so plain and inviting in the ad-
dress he is preparing that the farmers
of the country Will at once flock to his
aid. He states that the trust will not
have to include in membership all the
farmers in the states in which it is pro-
posed to establish it, because One-twen-
tieth of the farmers now control the
entire export trade.
AS a condition of membership, every
member will be required to pledge the
entire disposition of his products to the
trust.
Whatever may be the outcome of
Mr.. Aliens plan, his belief in it's posi-
bilities is profound. He is by no means
a poor man. and he proposes to put
practically all of his money into the
scheme. He states that he has also
assurances from other mOnied men that
they will help him in starting the gil
gantic enterprise by the purchase of
the debenture bonds he proposes to is
sue.
The charter of 1.-THE Farmers
Federation of the Mississippi Valley"
will show a capital stock of $50, 900 600
To secure the charter, it will cost Mr.
Allen $3.50 and this will alone be an
evidence of good faith as far as he is
concerned