Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1913-12-03
ORGANIZE {
TO FIGHT A TRUST
Anne Arundel Farmers GET To-
gether for Action
CONDITIONS Ike PEONAGE.
Alleged That Commission Men Have
Combine To Force Down Prices
to Growers.


A movement which will MEAL more
to the truckers of Anne Arundel coun-
" than anything that has happe ned
in the county in 3 decade is now get
ting well under way.
1t is the formation Of the Anne
Aruudel Produce Exchange. which
will be cooperative concern to
handle the products OF the truckers in
the upper part of the county especial
~, although il will take in the entire
county.
The movement for the exchange
was launched at a meeting held Mon
day night in the rooms of the Glen
burnie Improvement Association, at
which DR.. Thomas a. Brsyshaw pre-
sided, and at which addresses were
made by Thomas l.. Day, president Of
the Caroline County Produce Elk
change; John F. Monroe, of the Office
of markets of the Agricultural De-
partment, and Thomas H. White, of
the Maryland Agricultural College.
Plans for the formation of the
exchange have been discussed among
the farmers and truckers in the upper
part Of the county for more than a
year. They have found their bust
ness growing less and less profitable
every year, net prices for their pro-
duets have been getting less with
each passing year in spite OF the
constantly increasing prices of food
stuffs to the consumer, and they have
become more and more dependent
upon the commission man.
As matter of fact, il was pointed
out at the meeting. many Of the
farmers of the county are so in debt
20 the commission men that they are
in condition of peonage. Their
farms are motgaged to the limit 10
the commission man, they say, and
the commission man also holds bills
of sale upon their stock and imple-
ments They are compelled to buy
their manure, seeds and implements
through him, they declare, and even
in many cases their mules. and are
compelled to ship their produce 10
the man who he Ids the mortgages on
their places.
The result OF this is that the farmer
has TO struggle to keep up his inter
est payments, is compelled to borrow
for his payroll in order to put in his
crops and get them harvested, and is
simply in the position of agent for
the man to whom he is in debt. AS
result of existing conditions, prices
for agricultural lands has declined,
trucking, at best hazarduous I'M
dertaking, has not paid even living
ages and the farmers all over the
county are so deeply ia debt that
they can hardly see their way out.
Last year was one of the nest disas-
trious the farmers have had for many
years. The long drought through
the summer cut crops short IN every
direction and the prices the farmers
received for their products have left
them in bad way financially.
1t is predicted that the number of
sales under foreclosure of mortgage
and bill Of sale will be larger this
winter in Anne Arundel county than
for nearly a generation. 1t is TO
remedy the present situation that the
Produce Exchange is to be formed.
The details of the organization were
put in charge of committee Of some
of the most representative men of
the upper part of the county. This
committee is composed Of DR. Thomas
II Brsyshaw, S. S. Tracey, Earl
Stewart, James r. Benson, Philip
Morgan, Roland d. Phelps, Egbert
Kelley, Jefferson D. Phelps, John h.
Gels, James s. Smith, Lloyd Wesley,
Charles N. Stinchcomb, Elzey Stew
art, Irving Shipley, Thomas Cromwell
and Charles B. Humphrey.