The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-08-08

Co.am.ttee. CHAs. D. FuLLEN,
Dated July IS. Secretary.
Depreciation Of Farm Lands.
The fact has been for several years |
steadily and unpleasantly forced up
on the attention of the farmers Of
New York State that they were un-
able to reap profit from their farms
In anything like fair proportion to
their labor and investments. Farm
land has receded in value. The difi-
Guilty Of meeting bare living expenses
has increased from year to year. The
weight Of mortgages and other debts
has grown greater in proportion to |
the decrease in the revenue derived
from farm lands. That there is no |
money in farming is a plain, hard
fact which farmers in this county and
state universally acknowledge. That
there is unfairness in the conditions
affecting the farming population is a
reasonable conclusion. Farm land is
steadily depreciating and city prop
erty il appreciating. Looking at re-
suits. the conclusion is forced that
unfair conditions are working against
the farmer.
New testimony is offered showing
the decrease in the value of farm
lands. The State Assessors, Messrs.
Ellis, Wood and Williams, have been
making their annual trip, .and Assess
or Wood, as quoted by the New York
Times, says that they find q general
depreciation of farm property and
appreciation Of city property. He
says:
I'VE find general depreciation in
the value of farm lands. We have
visited fourteen counties-Monroe,
Erie, Chautauqua. Cattaraugus, Che
mango, Broome, Delaware, Sullivan,
Franklin, Clinton, Essex, Washing
ton, Warren and Albany counties. In
all we find the same condition OF az
fairs; city property is increasing in
value. while farming property is
growing less and less valuable. l
cannot see any way for it to improve,
and in q few years you will see more
tenementfarm than anything else.
! don't see how these insurance CON-
panies that have advanced money
will ever get out whole. No one
wants to buy farm lands here. They
can't get their money out OF them. In
Washington county had an illustra.
ton Of the receding value Of farming
land. A man took a mortgage fol
$4,000 on a farm just after the war.
He has held it ever since, and to-day
will take 5000 for the entire farm,
after foreclosing the mortgage. The
cities are prospecting though. New
York city has added about $JO. 900, 0oO
property to its real value the past
year. Brooklyn has added between
$eO,0OO.OOO and $50, 900, 600 to it's real
property; Buffalo has increased g.,
100000; Rochester between $4,000, OO(
and $4,000, 900; and Albany and syria,
cuse, $1,OOO,OOO each"
All this points q moral to the New
York Post. This information" say,
the Post, Italics with that furnished
by the Connecticut Bureau OF Labor
Statistics. In the last report .of thi,
bureau, the profit and loss account,
Of nearly one thousand farms are Civ
en-, from which it appears that 81 pei
cent of the whole number show al
annual loss, or loss for the year il
which the examination was made
Farming in New England and New
York ought to be very prosperou
employment, according to the pre-
vailing tariff philosophy, for here ",
have the very conditions which tn,
protectionists tell US the tariff vii
bring about, namely, home marke
for the products of agriculture. W.
have lots Of factories alongside thu
farmer ready to take his wheat ant
bacon, but somehow the result i
contrary to the prediction. Farming
land continues to decline in value
while town and city land increases il
value. There are large tracts Of lant
In the New England states that sup
ported farmers families q quarter o
. century ago, that have been aban
doned and are now growing up t.
forest. Yet here, if anywhere, ".
ought to find agriculture prosperou
and relnunerative if there is any vir
tue in protective tariff. May it no
be true that the object of the tariff
which is to secure profits to manu-
lecturers in order that they ma,
make farmers prosperous, fails in tn
second half Of it's aim! Would it no
be well to change our fiscal policy TO
q while-turn it around end for end
and tax the manufacturer for tn,
benefit of the farmer in order tina
the latter may have abundant mean
to buy the goods of the formery Afte
trying this plan for while weshoult
perhaps all be agreed to adopt thirt
policy, viz, that Of letting every mar
have and enjoy just what he earns.
Sentinel, Mayville, n. Y.
The value Of farms, like that Of
government bonds, bank and rail
road stocks and other securities, de
ponds solely upon the income from
the investment. The wages Of labol
depends upon the price of the prod
ucts of labor. Both are regulated by
the volume of money in use, which Il
regulated and controlled by . few
greedy bankers in no manner In
debted to the public for the respons'
ible places they occupy.
For the past twenty-five years the
entire financial policy Of our legisla-
ton has tended to make money in