FARMERS TO THE FRONT 99 



objects is "to secure equitable rates of transportation, 

 and to provide for storage in warehouses." There 

 has always been more or less strife between the farm- 

 ers and the railroads and the elevator interests, and 

 in that strife the farmers usually lose. Of late co- 

 operative societies have been formed in the western 

 and northwestern states, the object of which is to 

 enable the farmers to store and ship their own grain. 

 As a rule they have been successful and profitable. 

 These associations can easily affiliate with the Amer- 

 ican Society of Equity, and with the ability to control 

 prices, as well as to save the grain trusts' profit and 

 get equitable rates of transportation, they will be in 

 a very enviable position. Without the ability to make 

 equitable — profitable — prices, they will still be at the 

 mercy of the trusts, speculators and gamblers. And 

 without the power to hold the grain, prices can not 

 be fixed. Thus the two things must go together. I 

 claim the best place to hold grain is on the farm in a 

 good safe, vermin-proof granary. The farmer then 

 has no elevator charges to pay, which in public ele- 

 vators is about one cent a month and eight cents a 

 year. This is a heavy tax, and is about sufficient to 

 build an elevator, if used to its capacity, in a year. 

 The next best way is to have a community elevator. 

 Several local unions of the A. S. of E. will join to- 

 gether and erect it. And beyond this it is the design 

 of the society to have large elevators in the leading 

 market cities, under the management of the National 

 Union, where grain will be stored for members at 



