Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-03-24
New Series-Vol. 81. No. g.

worth of wheat and breadStuffs to feed
Europe. In July the London Times
said: American harvests ripen for the
food of Lancashire and London. All
mankind gain by the prosperity which
the American people has succeeded in
extracting from that noble land" Be-
sides wheat and breadstuffs our last
years export of other provisions to Eu-
rope was more than 500. 100000 worth.
The value of the cotton crop of 1879 was
S24S, l40,9S7. But cotton is no longer
king" The value of the corn crop of
that year was S5SO,4S6,2l7. Corn is king.
The value of the wheat crop of the same
year was S497, ,O3O,142. Wheat is queen
The value of the hay crop was $3.50, 0,S94,-
994. Hay is heir apparent. Within the
last year the farmers of this country have
enlarged their business capital S416.OOO,-
600. The aggregate value of the various
agricultural products of 1880, according
to the most reliable estimates, represent
the grand fetal of not less than $2,24O,-
600 1000, or nearly 76 per cent of our to-
tai products. Largely from these vast
resources the country is developed, our
national debt is rapidly reduced, our
growth in wealth and culture outruns
all example, and the Nations credit and
the Nations balance-sheet is the modern
marvel of the world.
Our increase in national wealth since
1850, says high English authority,
would be enough ''tO purchase the
whole German Empire, with its farms.
cities, banks, and manufactures" The
annual accumulation of wealth in Great
Britain is 1925, 100000; France, $685.
100000. In the United States it is $685.
100000, or nearly S2,3OO,OOO' for every
day.e Each decade adds more to the
wealth of the United States than the
capital value Of both Italy and Spain.
OF this vast aggregate about three
! fourths has constantly been supplied by
agriculture, besides the uncounted mil
lions from that source which. in home
consumption. daily contribute to the re-
cessities and luxuries of life, but of the
| value of which, in their infinite variety,
no definite computation is possible.
The value of our exports of bread and
breadstuffs for the year ending June
80, 1880, amounted to $2SS,036,S35. ex-
ceeding the exports of raw cotton during
the same year by the sum Of S76,500,930.
When in 1880 our whole exports were
S5S,524,S7S. agriculture furnished 81 per
cent of that amount, and when last year
our exports amounted to 1928, ,946, 1853,
agriculture still furnished $40 per cent
of that great total.
THE REASON WHY.
Such is the basis of resource and
wealth upon which agriculture is devel-
Oping. To meet its just needs it should
have the aid of all the. resources and au-
thority of full Executive Department
with Secretary at its head who as a
Cabinet counselor of the President would
represent its interests and thereby pro-
mote the general welfare, for he could
not only increase its products but de-
fend its policies. No department of the
Government would be in its character
so representative of the American peO-
pie. Just such assistance the interests
OF the whole people now need, that It
may for the common good check the
power of the railroad mOnopolies which
are robbing the industries of the coun-
try, and especially agriculture. These
corporations are so combined and so
powerful that they have not only risen
above the control of law, but themselves
dictate or defy legislation. Their pow
er is arrayed against the common good,
but the national authority resolutely
used is ample for their control.
Another present need for the full au-
thority of an executive department
comes in the imperative necessity that
it control the forestry of the country
and protect it from wasteful use and
wanton destruction. a division of for
estry should be created in this depart
ment to take in especial charge this
matter of public interest. The increase
of our forest growth has now become q
question of the supply of water and of
the fertility of the soil as well as of the
healthfulness and beauty of the coun-
try. Several State Legislatures have
recognized its importance and have
made appropriations to protect existing
forests and plant new ones. But we
have still large national domain and
the Government can do great good at
little cost.
IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
No country on earth has an agricultu-
raj interest or product like ours, yet in
most countries of Europe it receives
such consideration as is here denied to it.
In France the ministry of agriculture
and commerce is one of the executive
departments and its head a minister of
state. In Russia one of the ten secreta-
ries is minister of the domains" and has
charge of agriculture, mining, forestry,
and stock raising. Spain has eight cab
met secretaries of whom one is minister
of agriculture. Italy and Austro-Hu
gary give agriculture the same full rank.
In Austria one of the eight secretaries
is minister of agriculture.
In England the interests of agriculture
are under the control of the board of
trade; but in a private letter which l
lately received from John Bright he
saws "the demand is strong for minis
ter of agriculture" Why shall this
country continue to degrade the rank
of its greatest industry? Why shall the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue re-
ceive double the salary by statute paid
the commissioner of Agriculture? Why
shall the Secretary of the Navy CD be
paid three times as much? Why shall
the time and work of the Commission
er of Agriculture be declared by law
worth less by thousands or by hundreds
than the time and work of the Commits
SlO06T Vi L dOcllJSS VI OuSOOAnos VI A4ohuoS
or of the Comptroller or Currency, or
Register of Treasury, or Assistant Sec
retary of Treasury, or Architect of Cap
itol, or United States GeOlogist, or Lii
brarian, or Congressional Reporter?
There is no valid reason and no justifi-
cation. Our Commissioner of Agricul-
ture has worked for the interests and
success of his Department with zeal, an
ability. and energy which have added
millions to the agricultural productions
of the country. The meager and une-
quail compensation is part of the stupid
and invidious policy which seeks there
by to give an inferior status to that De-
partment. The agriculturists of this
country possess the power-and it is
time they should make it felt-and rem
edy, not only an injustice, but an indig-
nifty, to that industry which is the basis
of uenaral DrOsperity. In his message