The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-05-25
Corporation Agriculture.


The following are the concluding words
Of the essay read before the Cecil Farm
srs' Club lastiweek by Mr.. John P. Will
son, after review of the situation sur
the man between the pillow
handles, the small farmer
I'VE believe the present century will
see small holdings cease to exist. Syn-
dictates and trusts in agriculture as i'll
other branches oftrade can produce at less
cost and will be able in measure to con- !
troll markets, as we'll as her influence in
legislation, thereby get standing in the
race of life. =
Such a condition will not be reached in
the present century as that has but few
months remaining, but the present gene
ration is likely to reach the point where
the small farmer will disappear like
dissolving view. Some of our farmers
ere beginning to discern the impending
dissolution of the ancient system of farm
ing and cast about for other and better
methods.
In Prince Georges county of this State
cooperative movement in beef produc-
ing is being made, and in other parts of
the country similar attempts are being
made to escape what appears to be an
impending doom to the one man farming.
The individual tradesman, the individual
mechanic, machinist, artisan, manufac-
turer disappeared in the copartnership, and
the copartnership in the corporation and
the single corporation is dissolving into
the trust, union Of corporations into one
monster combine which becomes a mo-
nopoly. Every branch of productive
industry has left behind it its old system.
and like the winged insect flown away
from the dry shell, where for season of
preparation it abided as an undeveloped,
helpless worm. All but the farmer have
left the chrysalis state. He too must rise
with the general advance or remain with
the dead past a toiling peasant, chained
to spot, the victim of stronger will
and more intelligent being.
The way has been blazed by the adj
vance of simple, weak cooperation efforts
which are like ropes of sand, to the cor
poration which discards the natural indi-
vidual and creates the artificial person,
possessing single will directing the
strength of host on one objective point.
On account Of Lag laws the corporation
has been allowed to abuse its powers and
become a vicious trust. The corporation
applied to agriculture cannot become an
evil The field is too large for agriculture
to ever reach monopoly. Only good
could result from an agricultural cor
poration.
Suppose we construct i'll theory an agri-
cultural corporation. We have but to
proceed on the lines marked out by cor
porations in other divisions of productive
industry, such as manufacturing. Many
individual manufacturers form company
and become incorporated. The iDdivid-
uality of the members of the association
is lost and the corporation represents the
interests of all as single artificial person,
a law-made person in which every MEM
ber's equity is represented by stock which
is held in his name. He possesses no
power TO direct the affairs of the corpora.
ton. His governing power is delegated
to board of directors by vote of his
stock. The board of directors chosen by
the stockholders is vested with supreme
power over the corporation, confined to
prescribed limits by the law Switch
creates it.
We will assume for the purpose Of illus
trating an agricultural corporation, that
twenty, thirty more or less number of
farmers determine to form corporation
in order to conduct their business in
more thorough and economic manner.
Their respective farms are appraised at
cash value, or uniform value governed
by the condition Of each, the dwellings
with garden and the ordinary yard is
omitted and left in undisturbed condition
in possession Of the owner. All else be-
comes the property of the corporation,
and each member of the corporation has
transferred to him the appraised value of
his real estate and farm machinery in
stock of the corporation.
Those twenty more or less farms have
become the property of one artificial
person, the corporation, in which corpor-
alton the interest of all is represented by
the stock each one holds. The board of
directors that has been elected by the vote
Of the stockholders assumes entire con-
troll Of the tract of land thus created by
the incorporation of many farms. Plans
are then drawn up unGe, rules and by.
laws for the management Of the property |
The individual members would find
abundance of labor to perform under their
new arrangement. Three-fourths of the
fences would be removed forming large
midi vided tracts s,f land hsei cuitad ~ fha