Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-04-19
Farmers IN 4 BIG TRUST.
Production TO Be Restricted and
Prices Pushed.
COM BINE FOR DOLLAR WHEAT,
Great Interna tionar Scheme Forming by
Witch Production Is to lie Restricted
end the Price Pushed to Sati,fac-
tory Figure

Minneapolis, April 16.-All other
trusts and combines pale into mere
tribes when compared with the trust
it is proposed to form among the
farmers of the world at the agricul-
tural conference to be held in Paris
July GIG. The farmer has heretofore
been held up as the especial sufferer
from trusts, but the latter-day farmer
reads the papers, and by observation
finds that trust may be formed that
will benefit him. Consequently the
wheat-growing farmer calculates that
a trust in his business would enhance
prices. In order to make the new
combine a success 1t is necessary to
get a majority OF the wheat growers
into it, and this Is to be the object of
the conference. 1t is hoped to arrange
to restrict the production, reduce the
output by perhaps 20 per cent, and
then when the actual number of bush
els on hand is closely estimated, to
hold the grain until the price reaches
figure determined upon. Dollar wheat
is the slogan of the farmer. If the
present plans go through it will be i'm
possible to buy any wheat under that
figure in the course Of two or three
years. J.. G. Hanley of St. Paul, Mimi,
executive agent of the Farmers Alli-
ance and Industrial union. the Ma
tional Cotton Growers association, the
Farmers Federation of the Mississippi
Valley and the National Grain Grow
ers' association, is the chief promoter
of the international agricultural trust
in America. Prof. G.. Rutland of the
University of Fribourg, Switzerland, is
the chief promoter of the plan in Eu-
rope.
The idea was conceived by these two
been interested in many hold-your-
wheat schemes, is prominently asso-
ciated with the Farmers Elevator and
various cooperative undertakings. He
has long believed that if the farmers
would only come to an understanding
as to limiting production and agree to
sell only when their price could be OBJ
tanned they would easily master the
situation. AS professor of economics
Prof. Rutland has come to the same
conclusion. His study of the agrarian
problems of different countries led him
to believe that the only cure for the
widespread troubles of farmers, which
are much more severe in the old than
,tion. Both were hard at work getting
the idea into practice when they en-
,countered each other through CORE
Ispondence. Since then they have been
working with a common idea-viz., to
persuade the international agricultural
congress to indorse the plan and to
recommend it to the various national
associations present for application
next year. While 20 per cent reduction
in acreage is desired. Mr.. Hanley points
out that if only per cent can be Sc
cured the worlds wheat crop will be
reduced about 125000,000 bushels,
which is, he says, enough to bring the
price at Liverpool up to 81. To help
out the effect of restricted production
the farmers are to hold their wheat for
ninety days and are to market it at not
less than 81 bushel. Almost every
thing the farmer buys" Mr.. Hanley
said, SIS regulated in price by some
trust. On the other hand, all that the
farmer sells has it's price determined
by the competition of all the rest of the
farmers of the world. The farmers
propose to unite to stop ruinous COM
petition among themselves, and to
make the world pay a fair price for
their products" Following the Paris
conference it is hoped to have estab-
lshed permanent international grain
growers association