Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-02-21
AGAINST THE TRUST.

The antitrust fertilizer meeting,
called by Messrs. J. M. Whitesides, ID.
M. Hall and others, was held in the
court house last Monday at 1.3O
o'clock.
The attendance was hardly as large
as was expected, including not more
than 25 farmers in all; but after due
consideration it was decided TO pro-
ceed with the work of organization
and enter into a discussion of the sit
nation.
Mr.. H. w. Thomson, of Broad River
township, was elected as chairman Of
the meeting and the reporter for The
ENQUIRER served as secretary.
After reading the call, under author
ity of which the meeting was held,
Chairman Thomson requested q free
expression of the views of those pres
ent as to what was best to be done.
Mr.. D. M. Hall expressed himself to
about this effect: We have been
raising cotton for the past three or
four years at loss, and now that the
price has begun to advance a little, it
seems to me that this trust ought to
be willing to at least allow US part of
the benefit. While I do not know, /
think probably the trust may be enti-
tied to make some advance; but then
we want to see that it does not
make too great an advance. AS for
myself, 1 am willing to agree not to
use a single pound Of commercial ferti'
lizers; but as we could not get a gen.
eral agreement along this line, maybe
it would be we'll to agree that We will
not pay more than 10 per cent. ad-
vance on last years prices. We must
draw the line somewhere and maybe
this would be about right.
Mr.. Thomson thought it was strange
that the alleged advance of raw mate
rial was the only reason that was given
by the trust for the advance in prices,
when, as a matter of fact, most of the
sources of supply of raw materials that
enter into the manufacture of fertli-
zers are under the control of the trust.
He did not we'll see how the farmers
could undertake to do without com.
mercial fertilizers, so long as the price
is within reason; but as a matter of
principle, he thought it would be a
good idea to inaugurate a fight, the
battle cry of which would be non-pat'
ronage of the trust or its agents. He
was for giving the preference to non
trust companies. especially where such
companies would meet the prices of
the trust.
Mr.. J. r.. Summerford said he had
made cotton without commercial tertl-
lzers and could do ii again. He did
not calculate on using any commercial
fertilizers this season, and left it to
others TO do as they pleased; but sug'
gested that 8 per cent. advance on
last years prices was as much as
should be paid.
After the expression of various opin-
ions, the following was adopted as the
sense of the meeting:
Resolved, That 10 per cent. advance
on last years prices of fertilizers IS as
much as we ought to pay; that it is our
inclination to dispense with the use OF
fertilizers rather than submit
to a greater advance than 10 per cent, and
that i'm making our purchases we VIII
give preference to nOn-truSt companies,
over those known to belong toa trust.
Upon motion, the chair was request
ed t. appoint a committee of six from
the farmers present, which committee
should be charged with the duty of
the names of the fertilizer
companies which belong to the Virgin