Read Ebook: Stock and stalks by Roberts James Russel

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Ebook has 59 lines and 10700 words, and 2 pages

Let me tell you how a trust operates. There is an agreement to fix prices and production is limited to what will sell at the fixed price. Then there are fights made against any one outside of the combination who undertakes to produce that line of goods. The trust magnate knows well that to control a market he must limit the amount of goods for sale by combining to fight competition. Without that feature trusts would be harmless. A trust is a "combination in restraint of trade"--a fighting organization. Common business men are not afraid to compete with trusts. It is always the trust that is afraid. To compete means to race. Trusts always want to hamstring the fellows against whom they are racing.

To go back to farmers' organizations, on account of the nature of their business farmers can never successfully organize to fight down competition of other farmers and prevent them from producing. They can not then create an artificial market. Others can sometimes combine to take advantage of farmers. Farmers can never "get even." But here is a truth that many do not realize and it is that although some may have a less difficult business than farming, not one person out of a thousand can avoid competition or has any unfair advantage over other people. Those who would differ from this statement could only change the figures in the proportion. Change them as you like, and yet we must agree that it is a good thing that a majority must earn a living in which there is no graft for they will stand for truth and fairness in the land. We want freedom in the country and there cannot be freedom without fair competition--equal opportunities for all as nearly as the law can insure them.

Where co-operation among farmers can increase efficiency they should co-operate. The same is true of any other business. For any one to co-operate in a legitimate way for legitimate purpose is always a legitimate thing to do. Co-operation need not interfere with free competition or fair play. I have no word of warning to give to farmers' organizations that I would not apply as well to others. But I have a warning that I would like to sound to all the world. Beware of him who accuses all others of guilt. Beware of him who sees only bad in the world. There are those "reformers," they may be called, who would poison us against our fellows. Watch closely the suggestions of such. Test their advice by the golden rule. A propaganda of hate is never needed in a good cause. Peace on earth can only come by fairness and good will. We need each other's point of view.

Transcriber's Notes

Page 20: "Ofter the fattest," changed to "Often the fattest,"

Page 46: "what hapepns" changed to "what happens"

Page 56: "the fact increases" changed to "the fat increases"

Page 93: "an extravangance" changed to "an extravagance"

Page 99: "corn per ace" changed to "corn per acre"

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