The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-12-04
THE DECADENCE OF FARM1NG.
An Able Article OF Il Subject Affecting the
Interests Of the Entire CSuntry,

Interests OF the Entire Country.
Under the above caption very able
article is written by Joel Benton, for
the Popular Science Monthly.
He shows first as a substantiative
fact that the depreciation in the actual
and marketable value OF land within
the last twenty years is a statement
applicable to New England IS well as
to the Southeastern States. which are
! the distinctive agricultural States Of
this country
In New England, ''where the sup
posed benign effect CT the National
Governments attempt to diversity in
dustry, so that farming need not be
overdone," \ where the land was
originally fertile, where every social
aud industrial advantages are afford
ed, the farms are, however, advertised
for sale, aud sold, too, at an exceed
ingly low figure. This is true, al
though every conceivable surrounding
exists to enhance the value of land:
there are all the necessary elementsin
the protect;onists' theory to increase
the value of land. Upon the lands
were Improvements in the way OF good
buildings, railroads numerous, large
factories and populous towns were
near, schools and churches. It seems,
then, that if there is one section of the
United States which enjoyed all of the
best facilities for making farming a
paying business, it was in New En-
gland. But still we are told that the
farms there are advertised for sale
under orders OF foreclosure, just as
they are right here in Fairfield, year
after year. The actual experience Of
farming in New England then argues
conclusively the falsity of the theory
Of protection
Says Mr.. Benton: 1t is now evenly
years, at least, that farming has been
going rapidly downward. = : Farms
in New England, and some in the
Middle States, sold for less than the
buildings cost which are upon them.
: : Very recently the New York
State assessors have issued q report
Z in respect to the assessed valu-
alton of farm lands in various coun- |
ties And this is their story: in
fourteen counties visited, they found
that farm lands had deprecated in
value, while city property had in
creased in value"
The Bureau Of Labor Statistics for
Illinois have given q report in refer
ence to farm mortgage Indebtedness
in 1870, 1880 and 1887. The purely
agricultural debts as follows:
Year. Debt.
1870. s 95,721 ,003
1886, lO3,225, ,237
1857, 123, 3,733, ,09S
This is anything but an encouraging
report.
The interest, on those mortgages is
estimated at from I to per cent: the
profit Of the farmer is rated from 4 to
5 per cent. These figures indeed tell
a sad story, not only for Illinois, but
for every oGher State IN the Union.
What drain upon the farmer to meet
the interest Yet it is fact, year by
wear increases the amount Of farm
mortgage indebtedness.
Now money is seeking Investment,
and, althoush~s6raGge=zs It is,tSe
value of lard is depreciating every
year, yet we find in the Manufactur-
ers' Record statement, with definite
facts to corroborate it., that more and
more money is for loan on real estate.
1t is generally conceded that taxes
fall upon what can be seen. The
acres of land of the farmer cannot be
hidden or sworn away hence they
never escape taxation, but rs to per
sonalty it can by evasion be avoided.
This is one Of the reasons for the de-
cline of farming. But perhaps one OF
the most potent reasons is the relation
of the tax on farms to the national
tax-the tarif-which beguiles the
farmer with the declaration that 1t IS
protection, q worse misnomer never
existed-that it is for his benefit, a
system which forbids him from buying
almost every utensil used on the farm
as cheapiy as he might, and forces him
to sell the products of his own labor at
q low price. How can he prosper
under system of taxation which ln-
cresses his necessary articles for car
rying on mis- farm, and at the same
time decreases the value of the pro-
ducts of his own labor?
The time is ripe for him to know
and feel the baneful effects OF this un~
Just tax. It is high time for every
farmer in this country to stir with one
tremendous effort to abolish these
taxes. Experience demands it. We
can't afford to make one class of peo'
pie rich ct the expense of the majority.