The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-10-12

ne Manufacturers Cw~w11nwl
0ne The Rarner.
wheeling Register.
The Pittsbnrg Post contsins an
exceedingly interesting letter from
| Mr.. John H. Wallace, Of New York;
upon the subject Of the shrinkage
Of farm values in Western Pennsyl-
vahia. Mr.. Wallace speaks from
lengthy practical experience, and
handles his subject in plain conser-
vative way, quoting the facts and
figures and the records of sale.
The letter shows the utter fallacy
of the "home market argument,
with which the stumpers for the
tariff batons periodically dose the
farmer. 1t was sent to the editor Of
the Pittsburg Commercial Gazette,
one Of the principal organs Of the
protected millionaires, in response to
that papers clustering request for
proof to substantiate the truth of a
previous article Of Mr.. Wallace ON
the same subject, which is designa
ted "frec trade balderdash." But
the Commercial Gazette, true to its
policy of unfair dealing and of never
presenting both sides of the ques-
ton, refused to publish it.
The substance of Mr.. Wallace's
letter is to use his own words, "the
industrial and farm interests are
out of balance, and the manufacturer
is eating up the farmer. Colossal
fortunes are going up on one hand
and shrinkage, decay and abandon
ment on the other"
Instead of the farmer being bene-
flied by proximity to manufacturing,
the reverse Is the case. Instead of
reaping equal benefits with the
manufacturer from the tariff, we
find him barely able to make both
ends meet, and gradually being
drawn towards the prosperous city
and swallowed up. That is the
tendency. Mr.. Wallace advertised
for farm recently in Western Penn
sylvania, and the farmers literally
tumbled over each other to sell at
almost any price. Mr.. Wallace
says:
At the close of that advertisement,
l cautioned correspondents that
"the values of to-day and not Of 10
years ago would be considerated."
From this you will observe that l
was then aware of the shrinkage
that had taken place in farms for
farming purposes.
The replies to this advertisement,
which l had previously placed in
the Presbyterian Banner, kept me
quite busy for two or three months,
but the advertising paid well, for
in three days after going into the
field l found just what l wanted.
These replies were not restricted to
the southern part of Allegheny
county and the northern part of
Washington county," as indicated in
the advertisement, but came from
all adjoining counties of Ohio. At
the time the article in the Evening
Post was written had received 12S
of these applications, and since then
have received four more, making
1872 in ALL These applications varied
in price from 500 an acre up to 5000,
and striking feature in great
many of them was the utter disre-
gard of what was expressed in the
advertisement.
Taxed to death on all he buys by
the tariff, as well as on his farm and
its products by the State while he
is compelled to sell in free market,
is it to be wondered at, that, mort
gagged to the eyes, the farmer takes
the first chance of dropping every
thing no matter at what sacrifice
and breaking for the city where he
sees enormous fortunes being made?
Mr.. Wallace says:
With the wool industry practically
extinct with the markets of the cities
supplied with Western dressed beef,
with the milk business run into the
ground" and with wheat at 80 cents
and less, what is there left out of
which the farmer can make money?
With great industry and self denial
they can barely live, while the coun-
ty records show that many of them
have their hands, if not their heads,
in the lions mouth in the shape of
mortgages and judgments. This
picture is not over drawn, and every
man who is dependent on the pro-
ducts of his farm for living will
verify that it is true. Now, if this
be a true picture, how can we avoid
the inevitable sequence of shrink
age in the value of farms?
The following are among the in
stances coming under his personal
notice with which Mr.. Wallace backs
his assertion:
Away back about 1872 my brother
bought the David Duncan farm, ad-
joining the village of Florence, in
Washington county, at $50 an acre.
He consulted with me about it be-
fore the purchase. He said the soil
was thin, but it was SO much below
the average price of good farms in
| that region that / advised him to
buy it and thoughtit great bargain.
His efforts to improve the soil by
careful tillage and nursing were not
very successful and he determined to
sell it. After years of effort and de-
lay he succeeded at last in getting
rid of it at very considerable loss.
At the time of this purchase good
farms of strong land were worth $50
an acre where we'll located in that re-
gion.
About the first of last May l was
at the old farm in North Fayette
township, and then and there it &C.
CURED to me that l would buy a
farm for my nephew, J. Harper Wal
lace. / had not asked any questions