The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-01-02

did not intend to form q combination
or sgree upon a list of prices. yet thai
~sssx city the outcome. Fortunately
che Farmers' Alliance vas reaching che
EsL ith of it's power and il flence. and
che receptions and diaguises OF the Jute
Begging Trust we're unmssked, che
farmers were welded together in a
4olid mass, the cotton buyers in many
instances were ready to resist the de
mands of the trust, and the backbone
Of the gigantic combination Wa broken
never again to regain it's power, be
cause 1t had been shown that the on seT
covering of cotton bales vas not TO De
monopolIzsd by any product OF far of
lands. Cotton mills near the cotton
1elos are helping TO make it a perma
nens victory over KlDg Jute, who isno
longer on a throne.
A year or two ago the Virginia
Chemical %. was repuCe1 TO be in the
market for buying fertilizer plants in
the Carolinas. The ways and meane
for making these purchases were
amply provided, but the mode OF &C
3om Jlishing the objeci in view was ex
ceediDgly dark and mysterious. Li5Elt
Information could De Obtained by the
ne wsOapers, and a gradual absorption
Of ferEIlIz r plants was being consum
mated Toe Cfhcers and managers OF
fertilizer companies we're Interested by
the agents of the Virginia Cbemica
%, and secret buying Of teCGIl z 7
stock was carried on IN every com
NUDITY where a plant was located. Toe
result was the gradual purchase o
nearly every plant in the SIuth Nj.
lions Of money were expended In THE
way, but the conf ling pubic made no
remons rance until the great octopus
had Oeen placed in cJn'rol of the fer
Til Fer business, with the power TO FIX
prices and demand the pound Of ifs
from the farmer. Fertilizers have be
come such a necessity to the gro |th of
cotton, and cotton bas been sc long the
monercl of the farmers, that there
was a surprise in store Wnen the price
of commercial fertllIE3 rs began to rise,
and the farmer was made last seas ID
Co fael the mailed hand OF the trust,
with increased danger for the coming
seas1n. Denials are being made lsu
now that the trust proposes to turGner
increase prices, and the rise in CT
phosphate rock is given as the cause
for already increasing the price OF cam
merciai fersilIEsrs v . past easoas.
How can the farmers meet THIS con
full fight be- made against q CO nbin4
tIon which has invested $24 600 600 IN
the b S.nesSi The Charleston factOrIes
alone handled 300 600 TONS of fertuI8 re-
and an increase OF s. per ton means an
addition OF nearly q million dollars TO
the pro1S Of the trust, as these factor
les we're not in business on q sinking
basis before. Il would be easy enough
TO answer the question about t53 farm
era mee'ing mis- Ri&an1Ic corporation.
il tas A liza Wer3 reiuvanased once
more. A 6ugia Ol4st from th5 mou
tslns to the sea would be ali suh lent
to crush the hopes OF this mon = ply
and even s5 this lat day the c IncsrCeO
action OF farmers meetings on the first
Monday in ] 4nuary might put in mo
ton an agency for G ,mbatting any
higher prices on the part of the trust
Working through the FArmers' Ali
ance Exchange, the farmers \ give q
Gu ck TO the onward march OF the
trust, to which thew have fallen so
easy a prey. The EE2hence has the
facilities for consolidating orders and
making demands that will be needed,
il even a few Thousand farmers Were
pledged in any say to sustain the &c
Land4. 4 hundred arnes msn Ii
the State can reform The ranks of the
Sub Alliances within thirty daye, so
that ten thousand farmers will be mob
ol'zad TO pat Gown his trust, and teach
its managers a Lesson they will not for
gee E arnal vi Zilance 10 the prise of
IIber5y " aud the farmers ure about to
contribute MILL ros of hard. earned
money b. use they have ceased to be
vIgitant in r. g ard to their own in
teresrs.
s C7RTARY wilson's REPORT