They supported government regulation or ownership of railways and telegraph companies, an increase in the supply of money, a graduated income tax and a decrease in tariffs, the abolition of national banks, and the establishment of subtreasuries—government warehouses in which farmers could deposit crops and borrow . Farmers were facing many problems in the late 1800s. These problems included overproduction, low crop prices, high interest rates, high transportation costs, and growing debt. Farmers formed cooperatives to try to encourage railroad companies to give farmers preferred shipping rates
