Show A GRAVE PUBLIC DANGER AN extensive scheme has been quietly set on foot which concerns all the people of this territory chiefly it will affect the farming community very largely it will have a restrictive I 1 influence nf luence upon a number of prowl prominent pro nen business men incidentally it will have a bearing upon entire population ul ula tion atton the project to is this A shrewd speculator who has figured in some other local matters of finance has entered into an arrangement with a number of the leading mill owners of northern utah to obtain possession of all the grist mills with a view to controlling cont roling the grain and flour market papers have been drawn up in which the mill owner bonds himself in a heavy sum to execute a deed conveying his mill property to the speculator la aix months from date at a price agreed upon if the speculator sells the property to a syndicate which he be reve represents he be is to receive five per cent of the purchase price if not he to is to pay the owner five per cent and hold bold the option for tor six months longer during the time previous to the actual purchase the owner to is to retain pos session of the property and ponti continue nue his business as before but when the conveyance Is ia made he be binds himself not to engage either directly or indirectly in any flour milling business in utah idaho or wyoming for a period of five years he may take somo some stock however in the company or companies that operate the mills bought in by the syndicate or the speculator representing it we understand that several of our will mill owners have signed the bond pledging themselves to this arrangement others have either given their word to do so or have considered the matter favorably while a few have hold held out so far but are threatened with the freeze out process if they do note not come into the combination the probable consequences of such ft a far reaching protect project are not difficult to perceive if the principal flour mills odthe of the north with their valuable water powers pass into the possession of outside capitalists organized to con arol the bu business etness the mills in the south sooth will be left to do but custom hu business siness which does not pay alone and andoni cannot inot compete with the PO powerful gerful company barked backed by english money at a low lowrado rate rato of interest and will either have to come into the pool or very soon go out of the business busine mL then the mill owners who have parted with their property cannot engage in the flour mill business nor ad vace their money for that purpose p nr r become interested in it in either utah or idaho or wyoming for five years this will practically give a monopoly of the flour trade to the syndicate and the she profits of the business will go where the capital comes from this means also that for breadstuffs bread stuffs the people of utah will be largely dependent uvon upon this combination of foreign capitalists true some of our mill owners may take stock in the company but af course they will not be permitted to own owl a 4 controlling interest will not the price of wheat and of flour be thus largely regulated by this syndicate and will not this affect first the agriculturist the producers producer and next the purchaser of flour the consumer if bothe whole community will be affected and may be materially injured this is therefore a matter that requires serious consideration we do not know whether it has gone so far as to place it beyond recall or so as to make it necessary for those who have not yet signed the bonds to engage in this sellout sell out to strangers but there should be grave reflection before this scheme to lie consummated if disaster shall come to our farmers aad the people generally from this surrender of our home milling interests to outside parties great blame will be attached to those eti era in it and it will be a lasting stigma there is no dousta great temptation offered to owners who are running their mills under difficulties our farmers are foolishly selling their wheat for exportation thus rendering the mill business very precarious it is difficult to obtain good grain enough now to keep the machinery in operation millers have helped to demoralize their own business by underselling each other and thus the business has become very unprofitable to sell out on the plan proposed then seems to promise a profitable relief to the mil men but it seems to us u that there should be a union among these manufacturers rs for their own interest and that of the public why carinos ca annot they combine for mutual protection and the conduct of business at a fair profit if brethren cannot agree on such a matter and seek each others other 19 welfare it is a shame alid abd a disgrace to them cannot conr resident will mill men join and do that which outside speculators and capitalists can accomplish if n not oi why not it may be asked what difference would there be in a union of our own mill owners and a combination of strangers to effect the same purpose but the purpose would not be exactly the same we would much rather be in the hands of our friends on the question of bread than at the mercy of those who might become our enemies and who in ada any event would have but one object in view money making no matter at whose expense we have nothing to say against the sharp harp manipulator of this new scheme it is in the line of f his business me wants to make some money for himself while placing a good investment for the capitalists for whom he to is working woi king but our friends should see to it that in working for his bis interest they do not involve the interests and jeopardize the welfare of the community with with which they are ider identified tidied for time ands and eternity there is something more obe tube considered than ihan pecuniary profit and something oi 0 fa more value than any earthly contu con tuder der aaion |