Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-11-12

Western papers complain bitterly of the hard
ships 10 which farmers subject from the low
price obtained for most kinds OF produce, not
outstanding the depreciation of paper currency
as compared with former years. and the enhanced
cost of all they consume 3 fIer giving table
showing prices aud two years ago, the ST.
Louis Republican says:
The above, which exhibits actual prices in 1860
and 1861 comparing articles of farm produce
with those of the farmers consumption. shows
some interesting facts IL shows that with the
exception OF three articles, the great bulk of
What is raised on the farm has within two years,
lowered from 30 To 40 per cent, average
OF 43 per cent. On oats, which is high on ac
count of short crop. on rye, of which but little
Is raised, and on barley, OF which the product is
greatly less than OF corn and wheat, there is an
average rise of 20 per cent Allowing for this
rise, the average per centage of loss is SO per
cent. That Is, for most OF the farm articles
which are raised in Illinois and Missouri the
farmer gets now only 81 cents where he got two
years ago 81.
While all the produce raised by ive-sxths of
the farmers of Illinois and Missour-aud the
same may be said of Iowa and Wisc0nsin-has
greatly fallen IN price. all that they consume has
greatly risen. Upon the articles above enumera-
ted, the rise has beer from live To 40 per cent
The average rise is IL That is the farmer pays
81 a for what two years ago cost him 81
Now, if his produce had risen in the same pro
portion, there would be nothing To say about the
matter. Even had it stood still the case would
not have been as hard il Is. But in fact while
everything the farmer has TO buy has advanced,
nearly everything he has to sell has rece!ed Let
see. by little attention 10 detail how he fares
tie gets. we have seen 81 cents now where he
got 81 year ago. he pays 81 u now where he
paid 81 year ago. The difference then is 3 IL
against hum III every dollar OF his exchanges of
what he sells tor what he buys This Is he
must now pay 81 10 for what cost him then 81
il he exchanges, as OF course he must, his pro-
duce for goods. To illustrate the hardship: Sup
pose the farmer wanted TO buy brown sheeting
with corn two years ago, and wants 10 make the
same exchange now. Two years ago lie could
have paid for forty yards of that sheeting with
seven bushels OF corn. To day he can not pay
Tor 1t without giving nearly thirty bushels of
corn.
We have gone all along on the suppositon that
the farmer received two years ago. and receives
now, the whole price paid for his corn at the place
OF delivery IN the great Western market For
purposes OF comparison between the two periods
tins superstition answers well enough But. in
point OF fact, the farmer gets only about a third
OF this whole price, since the other two-thirds
are chargetble with costs OF clrrsge. commits
Stou> anu otitF lAciueittai expenses
We therefore cordially concur in the sentiments
OF contemporary ct the Prairie F0rrner
We think that those who manufacture tor far
mers' u>e--espeeialiy manufacturers who hold
patents, and IN ordinary times have made large
profits, and can still continue to make large pro.
hts without advancing their rates-ought 10 ab-
stain from increasing the pressure on the shoul-
ders OF the overburthened farmers In some
cases, We admit. the manufacturers must in or
der to save themselves. impose the Government
duty on their customers But this can not be
necessary in all instances IN many cases, the
manufacturers afford 10 bear the whole. or at
least portion OF the tax AT any rate. the far
mers are not IN situation TO paw, not only their
own taxes. but those OF all from whom they IN
ordinary times make purchases Unless there is
4 great rise in their produce. indeed. they must.
to very considerable extent, fOrego the use of
many comforts they have heretofore been accus-
TONED TO. sni also of farm machinery and labor.
he consequences will be a curtailment OF farm
operations And perhaps. after ALL only in this
way can the prices OF farm produce De made rea-
S0nahiy remunerating.