The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1884-10-03
RHE WHEAT PROBLEM.

Figuratively speaking, the course of
life has debit and a credit side, pre-
sided over by Dame Fortune, and in
most instances the account is never
far out of balance. It's thus with the
farmer. Each gain is usually counter
balanced by loss in some bearing or
another. For several years he has toll
ed patiently to produce n generous
yield of cereals, but nature has been
persistent In its refusal to yield to his
hopes and desires, SO that he has strug-
gled along with a mere pittance in rec
compense for the time and labor ex-
pended. His only salvation during
this time has been in the fulness of re-
turns from the sale of the limited guam
tity Of wheat he could dispense with,
markets having been generally good.
The present season has aroused his
slumbering faith in Mother Natures
generosity, and a great abundance of
every product has been the result of
the harvest. But in keeping with the
proposition laid down above, his full
garner is crippled in its ability to re-
ward the happy possessor, by CORES
ponding decline in market prices.
Now, there are several sides to this
question. In the first place the price
Of wheat is not going up for the present,
and in all probability will 90 lower yet.
Then, again, farmers will be 10th to sell
under these circumstances. Thirdly,
it is doubtful whether majority will
be able to hold their wheat, owing to
pressing deficiencies in their finances,
caused by shortage of income in pre-
vious years. Hope crushed to earth
will rise again, usually, but the hopes
created in the mind of the farmer by
ali abundant harvest, will be cast
down by the depression of the market
and will have to remain 80, in instances
where demands on the farmer require
the disposal of his crop at once. Some
are situated 30 rs to hold the crop uu-
til better prices are offered. There is
a tendency through the wheat growing
regions to do this, and it may be noted
as positive conclusion, that the far
mers will use all honorable calculation
and strategy to do so in the hope of
lessening the supply, thereby causing
an advance in prices. How effective
this will be depends on the amount of
wheat withheld. Business men have
aimed to be lenient with their debtors
in the past, and now that crops are suf-
fclent, naturally and rightly look for
the payment of outstanding bills,
which is going to be a defeating
forceat the back of the farm
er's determination to hold his CO.
real. Here, then, is a triangular cir.
cumstance in "the course of human
events" The capitalist will purchase
at the lowest possible figure, the agri-
culturist will refuse to sell so long as
he can avoid it, and the banker, mer-
chant and machine dealer will pres
for the canceling of notes and ledger
accounts. 1t is not difficult to see who
is receiving the blunt of the oppression,
because the farmer is between the 9TH
er two forces, and unless we'll fortified
with good public credit, and an income
from other resources, he is doomed to
be pretty uncomfortably squeezed, and
many q one will learn, if he has not al
ready done so, that debt is a thorn in
the side. He is a wise farmer who COM
menced his career on cash basis and
can now stand aside and see his less
judicious neighbor "dance on the grid
de-" The whole question is one of in
terest just now, and is receiving much
attention from men concerned in COM
mercial and financial topics.