The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-23
FORM A COMBINE.
Grain Trust to Pool With Kan
sas Millers.
To Crush Out the Cooperative
Grain Association.
WILL cheaper WHEAT
Farmers Threaten to Resort to
a Boycott.
Secretary Butler of Anti Trust
Association Talks.
WILL CHEAPER WHEAT

A new and Unexpected contingency
has arisen which the Farmers Cooper
ative Grain and Livestock association
win have TO face. The grain trust is
actively engaged in trying to form an
alliance with the millers who compose
the AIiIiers' association of Kansas 10
force the cooperative association out OF
existence. The members of the Farm
ers' Cooperative association are awake
to the danger that confronUs their or
ganization and every effort that is pos
sible to be made Is being made for the
strengthening Of the anti trust aSSocla-
, ton
THE grain trust finds that it is IN
a BILE to compete with the farmers or
SANITATION" said James Butler, score
tary of the antitrust association. lit
has been worsted in every battle Real
izingy its crippled and disabled condition
it asks the assistance Of the mlllefs OF
Kansas The officers Of the grain trust
see defeat staring them in the face, un-
less they can effect greater combine.
ton and get the aid and assistance OF
The mills of this state.
There is a move on foot to get the
mills of the state to pool with the grain
trust The grain trust to supply the
mills with wheat a a reasonable margin
and the mills agreeing to make no high-
N bids for grain than IS made by trust
working hard to effect and bring about
this combination. 1t IS claimed that II
Il pool is formed with the millers that
the mills win get cheaper wheat and
that the trust grain dealers can then
maintain the old time margins for hand
ling grain and wipe out all competition
with q combination of the grain
trust and the mills ON prices to pc
paid it is believed that farmers viii
be compelled to sell at the price offered
Of ole Tl1af
and shippers associations win be closed
up and forced out Of business. AT a
meeting of the millers held at Wichita
last month the grain trust submitted a
proposition to the mills for pool or
combination which at that time found
warm friends among the millers, but
it was defeated.
1T is believed now, with the active
work the grain trust members haVC
done and are doing, that the combina-
tion VIII be effected and completed by
The millers at their next meeting in
July Some of the most prominent mil
lers in the state are at work assisting
the grain trust members in creating
sentiment favora bic to the combination
and they are confident that the grain
trust proposition will be accepted.
II hardly think that such combina-
ton can be made. am positive that all
tile mills viii not enter it. If any con-
siderable number of the mills should
enter the combination it viii create a
much il would effect the farmers &C.
operative shipping associations. If such
a pool is formed We viii defend ourselves
in some way.
we can buy or build cooperative
mills and grind our own wheat into
flour Then there is still left to US the
boycott, the greatest weapon that can
be used in defense of organized labor.
We can refuse to use flour that is man
utactured by mills who join the grain
trust for the purpose of expressing the
farmers. and we can refuse to trade
with stores who handle their goods
We can and will no doubt appeal to
organized labor To aid us by refusing to
buy flour manufactured by mills who
combine with the Grain Trust to Cypress
the farmers. We viii also make the same
appeal TO merchants with whom we trade
he lines viii be sQuarely drawn between
the pirate on the one side and the wealth
other.
We would regret very much to see the
mills Of this state make such fatal mis-
take They will not do so unless greed
ana aNartce control their reason While
me mills that are strong financially may
be able to 90 through the struggle that
VIII roll0W-We predict that more than
half Of those who enter the combine
against the farmer, viii close their doors
before the end of the first six months
and those who stand the pressure that
long viii find their bank accounts in a di-
lapidated condition.
They are tackling the wrong class of
people They cannot starve farmers into
suDJectlon and the millers Will regret the
day they Join the Grain Trust in plumber
ing and expressing the farmers