Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-02-05
Farmers Profits.

Farmers Profits.
In answer to series of editorials
which have appeared in the Chronicle
from time to time, the Wall Street In.
dicator says:
We find in the st. Louis Railway Register
summary of the statement presented by
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad to
the Kansas board of railway commissioners,
which ought to cause some people to do
some very hard thinking.
1t appears that during the six years Me-
Pherson county, in that state, which is fair
type of other counties, has raised 1900, 900
bushels of wheat; the total expense of rais-
ing and marketing this crop has been proba-
bly, $5,000, 900, and the value was $6, 6,930, 900,
leaving net profit to the producers of $3.50, :
600, besides what was consumed in the coun-
ty. This shows that for every 500 ex-
pended in raising this crop the farmer re-
ceived clear profit of $3.50, or 3s.6 per
cent. What railway ever returned such a
reward to its owners: This 100000 bushels
of wheat was raised on, say, 100000 acres of
land annually sown to this crop. An allow
ance of 81 ,000,0 900 for interest on the value
of the land, which is made in estimating the
cost, as above, of the six years. crops, is at
the rate Of S166,666 for one year, or per
cent. on land at SIS per acre. In other words,
the farmer is allowed interest on valuation
of $2S per acre of land that only cost a few
years ago from $1.25 to s. per acres. What
watering of stock" this is.
The Indicator has been very sue
cessful so far in this controversy in
furnishing the Chronicle with amuni-
ton, and the supply in the above is
even greater than usual.
The figures furnished above, it must
be remembered, are from the railroad.
The amount of wheat reported raised,
the cost of producing it, the price paid
for it, the profit made and the acreage
cultivated are all estimates of the Atch-
ison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad COM
pany's agents.
The readers of the Chronicle Will no.
tice such expressions as sit appears"
probably" "say about etc. Herein
lie the saving clauses of an array of
figures which might convey some force
were they exact or even approaching
correctness.
The farmers of Mcpherson county,
Kansas, are very anxious, to know
where the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe company got its figures and what
factors went into the cost of raising
wheat.
But admitting the correctness of the
railroad company's figures, what of the
deductions? The farmer got the land
for S1.25 to S. an acre. Was that all of
his investment? Wheat didn't grow
spontaneously. He had to purc,sse
farming Implements; he had to @puy
wagons, sleighs, horses and other stock.
He had to build fences, houses, barns,
roads, bridges, school-houses and invest
money i'm hundred other ways. How
would a railroad company like to have
its earnings figured on the basis of the
money it paid for right-of-way alone?
Yet this would be just as fair as the es-
innate made above against the f..rmer.
Who made this land valuable: the
railroad or the farmer? If the farmer
had not gone upon it and improved it
to the extent of about $50 an acre it
would still be worth only S1.25 to So
an acre. The railroad without the
farmer toiling along its line would be
a sorry thing.
But this is not all. In putting his
money and toll upon this land the farm
er in exact proportion to tie improve
ments of his own farm enhanced the
value of the railroad conpany's land
Immediately adjoining, and for which
the company did not pay one cent as
against the farmers original invest
ment of $1.25 to So an acre. Nor does
the railroad company in the estimates
of its earnings or increased capital,
figure i'm the enhanced price of its lands
an enhancement due almost entirely
to the farmer.
MANY railroad has returned not 38.6
per cent. profit to its owners, but by
land grants and watering of stocks has
returned several hundred per cent.
profit.
The increase of the capital of the
farmers land is substantial and visi-
BILE to the eye in fences, barns, school
houses, live stock, bridges, roads, etc.
The increase of the capital of the rail-
road is i'm certificates bearing corporate
seals-the progeny of legal prostitu-
tion.