FARMERS UNION PROPOSED. 83 



San Joaquin County Club Dr. E. S. Holden, J. N. W. Hitch 

 cock, Thomas C. Ketcham, C. Grattan, H. C. Wright, W. G. Phelps, 

 James Srnythe, L. H. Brannock. 



Santa Cruz County Club Benjamin Cahoon, J. K. Locke. 



El Dorado County Club G. G. Blanchard, Robert Chalmers. 



Sonoma Vinicultural Club W. M. McPhersou Hill, Major J. E. 

 Snyder, Win. Hood. 



T. Hart Hyatt submitted the following: 



In view of the stern, exasperating fact that the farmers of Califor 

 nia, when spared the calamity of a loss of crops from drought, floods, 

 mildew, or blight, are met by a more withering scourge in the form 

 of railroad monopolies and pestilent grain rings and bread-sharks, 

 whereby the farmer is robbed of the fruits of his hard toil and life 

 long earnings, and left without enough in many cases to reimburse 

 him for his expenditures, while the merciless speculators are fatten 

 ing on their unjust gains, building palaces and sporting princely es 

 tablishments on the plunder thus taken from the hard working 

 farmer; and in view of the fact that nothing can be effectually done 

 by the farmer without co-operative and vigilant, energetic, united 

 action; therefore, be it 



Resolved, That the convention deem it expedient forthwith to 

 establish and organize a Farmers Protective Union League, to be 

 composed of the members of all the local agricultural and horticul 

 tural clubs and associations in the State, who may desire to join the - 

 league; and to hold semi-annual meetings alternately at Oakland, 

 Marysville, Stockton, Napa City, San Jose, Sacramento, and at such 

 other points as may be deemed practicable. That said league be 

 organized under the laws of the State, and be duly incorporated, so 

 far as it may be necessary to enable it .to transact business in a legal 

 manner; to be a business, not a sporting institution; that it appoint 

 an Executive Central Committee, who shall be empowered to trans 

 act business for the league during the intervals of its regular meet 

 ings. The said league to have power and authority to organize and 

 establish a Produce Exchange, a Farm Stock Exchange, and a 

 Farmers Savings, Deposit and Loan Bank; and to do all other 

 things that may be found necessary to advance the rights of the 

 farmers of California. 



All seemed earnest in their action, and united and determined on 

 the main objects of the association. The tenor of the general 

 remarks showed a desire to strengthen the influence of the conven 

 tion by calm, deliberate action, attempting no dictation and making- 

 no demands in any direction without the power to enforce them. 



President Fisher recommended that warehouses be built at conven 

 ient points for shipment, where farmers can safely put their grain 

 and keep it. It was suggested that foreign capital, or any other cap 

 ital demanding a low interest, can ask for no safer security. The 

 money can always be had when the grain is put up, and as long as 

 it is needed and at rates that we can stand. Our great crops, once 

 in our storehouses, we can also have the power to co-operate and 

 deal directly with foreign buyers. We can show what we have 



