Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-03-31
THE TARIFF BURDEN.
How It Bears on the Farmers OF the West
srn States.
A.. Val Mr.

How It Bears on the Farmers OF the West
srn states.
Ner York Star.
Il lis q heavy load the farmers who
live in the Ear Western States carry.
There 6reWood is exceedingly scarce and
of q very psor quality. The coal lies deep
buried and is costly fuel, almost lux
ury. In those distant agricultural fields
that lie close to the arid zone there is no
established manufacturing industry. There
is no iron ore, no coal mines. no large
tracts OF forest. The only industry - the
wealth creating one of agriculture. Rail
roads have penetrated the region. Towns
spring into quiet life along the trsnsporta..
ton lines snd grow slowly. Thisgro~th OF
uon-uroductive communities is spoken OF
a. highly desirable. The Vest is said to
prosper. Is the growth of these comnuni'
Ties in strictly agricultural land desira-
BILE? And is the West prosperingf
Suppose q county containing 1900 farms
Of 100 acres each, which is about the aver
ace size Of agricultural counties lying west
Of the Mississippi river. These farms
would carry about 10000 people. There
are no towns in this suggestions county.
The railroad stations are shipping points
only. Under the supposed case the ex'
uenses ofthe rural community are the d.
rect taxes levied to meet the cost of gov
eminent. of schools and for public improve
ments, then ths cost Of living, and then
for agricultural tools end iron and Lumber.
The income OF the farmers Is deriyed from
Inc sale of grain and live stock. The only
manufacturiug industry in the county 10
that of grinding wheat into Hour. Alter q
tsv years a town springs into existence
along the railroad, and tgro~s rapidly unhl
il contains 5000 inhsbltants In western
town Of that size there viii be twenty
Sto,es two or TIRES sgricnltursS.mpiems
b0nses where Ida are sold on large com,
missions, three usurious c~Hroora ioos esleu
banks, six or seven loaa and m "tR'so
agencies, over the doors of which three
golden balls should swing, as they are shops
where men, landed proprietors pledge their
land and loose them, and so become ten.
ants. half a dozen blacksmith shops, a
couple of weekly papers, four lumber yards
and maybe tiny foundry aud one or two
large merchant mills, where wheat is ground
into -four for export. The growth OF the town
to the limit of about 5000 people has been
rapid; there it stops, and things are at
AT standstill. The msiority OF
the people who came to the town brought
money with them to build houses, to buy
clothing to buy sufficient food to keep them
until they could earn more. But the gro
ceries, the clothing, the furniture. the fuel,
the shoes, the lumber, the lime, the iron,
these townsnen bought were not produced
in the county; they were forced to spend
their capital in other communities. The
| town ia built, and the farmers who tall the
surrounding lands and raise the produces
hat brings the only money that is not
raised on mortgage into the county, are
not one cont the richer. Nothing has bear
bought of them excepting small portion
Of their surplus produce, and TOR tina
they had market before the town wa
buiit The building Of the town has not IN
creased the price ofcorn, or pork, or wheat
or beef The money the townspeepl'
brought With them to the new town wa
exhausted 10 building, in living, and II
buyiuV stocks of goods to trade to IN
farmers. The banks have money to loan
So have the loan agents. The wnea
grinding companies have sufficient to ou.
sheat The same is true OF the elevate
men. provided the banks discount their pa
perfreely. Thetown is heavily mortgaged
The farms are mortgaged. The rate o
S;sconnt ia from 1 per cent to p per cen
per month. Taxes are high. Farm pro
5uots sell for now little above, now a III
lie below the cost Of production.
Who supports the 5000 people who l'v
| in the town. Are they OF any benefit
the wealth creators who till the soilf or ar
thew suckers who sponge their living out
he aoriculturists3 / hear shopkeepe
saw he Il no sucker, that he pays taxes
. mat he is necessary to the welfare OF tn
community. he is mistaken. He pays q
a taxaa he distributes the amount OF d
taxation among his goods, making them
, EttIs hioher in price, and the fsrmer WI
buy bis goods really pay his taxes' 90
: Il with the lumber dealer. de genetal
sella on commission. In effect, ne ievies
tsx an every house, barn. fence, shed. p
nan and chicken coop built in the count.
Evsrv man in the town. it matters n
vhat bis occupation may .
ids ON the producers OF the count
. It's true thar the taxable property lyir
d in the county bss increased, but 1t Is al
At true that the farmers pay the irereas'
II AVIATION. and that the producing capaci
of the land has not increased. no .mo
:. nrodnce h sold AFTER the town is hpiit tn
IA sold before. The truth Is the tArme
have to pay the living expenses OF the no
nroducsrs Who have sqastted on their
snstrv This is one Of the 6ardsus that
N nurely agricultural people have to bes
!. ana Il 10 . heavy one. ),
= What q the amount Of the burden ID
hs = fsrmiur commnnity has to bearf 10
~ question cannot be answered accurstel
T. Thsra are no statistics relative 10 some
s.s he vital points Of the case, but sufficient
= kpown 10 sharply indicate why-the prodr
. ing class is poor, and growing poorer a
- poorer as the harvest years roll past.
sis In . county, 80 it's in States and
groups OF States. Again, suppose
!, County in axpurely sgriealtnl
rsgion: IL il contains 80
farms, about :. 900 Of them viii Be me
. -" n 0sI