The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-03-19

of the most enthusiastic advocates of
the organization of the farmers OF
the country on the lines of mutual
protection for themselves. 1t advo-
Gated this policy when it was alone
in the contention. 1t believed then
that the salvation of the producers
of the country's primary wealth could
only be secured by means of cooper
alton among those who were engaged
in feeding the world. 1t therefore
takes pardonable pride in the organi-
cation throughout the state of the
branches of the American Society of
Equity, which has for it's purpose the
controlling of the markets of the pro-
ducts of the farms in such manner
that the producer will be able to die
tate the amount he shall receive for
the fruits of his toll.
1t has been said before in these
columns but it will bear repetition,
that the farmers of the country are
at the mercy of all other trades and
businesses because they were not in
position to say what their products
shall bring, nor what they shall pay
for that which they purchase: No
other trade. profession or calling in
the country does not have a voice in
the making of either the giving or
receiving price. The farmers have
not done so in the past largely be-
cause they were at the mercy of those
who purchased their crops and who
therefore made the prices, not ac-
cording to the generic law of supply
and demand, but according to the
speculative turn of these buyers.
This condition is true in spite of
the fact that the farmers of the coun-
try control, or could control, the sup
ply and consequently the price of the
very thing that would bring the world
to their granaries begging for bread
| within few months at least, did
they withhold it from the market. The
food supply of the world which could
be left in the hands of the farmers
If they so willed, would leave the
majority of the people of the world
beggars for bread if the farmers would
for one year withhold the crop from
the market This is the extreme con-
dition which they could bring about
The truth is that taken one year
with another there is just about suffi-
:cient bread produced in the world to
feed the entire people. The same is
true Of other food products. This
ought therefore to fix a staple price
for these commodities. On the con-
trary they fluctuate more than any
other articles. The reason is that the
products pass out of the hands of the
| producer almost as soon as they are
harvested and the spectators who
thus secure control Of the entire COM
modify, regulate the amount which
goes out to the consuming market in
] such a manner that they can fix the
price to suit their own fancies. This
possibly explains why when the rail-
roads were unable to carry the crops
last fall the price was kept down to
| the very bottom. The terminal ele-
vators had secured sufficient supply
to furnish the entire demand, and so
long as It was necessary to purchase
from the farmers, the price was kept
down.
Now If instead of the crops pass
ing into the hands of these specu-
lators, it were retained in the bins
of the farmers, they could by con-
certed action SO deal out the sup
ply that the demand from the con-
Stunning world would be sufficient to
keep the price to a point where it
would pay the tiller of the soil to
produce it. This is what the society
claims to be able to accomplish. 1t
can do it, IL the members who are
engaged in the production of any GER
tain class Of agricultural products
will stand together and keep the pro-
ducts in their hands until the market
demands are sufficient to give them
the required price,
There are many side issues to be
considered in the development of the
farmers trust which the organization
really is. One of these is terminal
system of elevators and warehouses
which are under the control of the
producers so that they may be able
to store their products and hold them
in community interest until the price
can be fixed by means of the regula-
ton Of the supply and demand: An
other Is a system of credit-banking
If the term sounds Extraordinarily
the producers may, in case Of urgent
need, receive on their stored grain
sufficient advance to enable them
to meet the costs of nroductton and