The Iola register., 1890-05-16
SECRETARY RUsK,s ADVICE.

Caroline Barber Chandler, IN America.
SECRETARY RuSK'S ADVICE.
How to Afford Relief from the Existing z
Agricultural Depression.
President Harrison made happy hit
when he selected Ex-Governor Rusb, of
Wisconsin, for the Secretaryship of the
Department of Agriculture. Among all
our public men there is no warmer or
bore popular friend of the farmers than
'Uncle Jerry.s He.win not waste the
appropriations for his department in inn
practicable and costly experiments, or
in the encouragement of fancy farming,
such as capitalists indulge in as pas
time, or dreamers resort to in illustra-
tion of the proverb, ''ths fool and his
money are soon parted" He is as truly
the farmers friend as "Poor Richard"
was in his day, and herein he is a most
worthy successor of Benjamin Franklin.
His latest letter ought to be published
in every agricultural journal in the
land. We have already called atten-
ton to his general explanation of the
agricultural depression, but the subject
is too vast and vital to be dismissed.
The most serious problem of the hour is
how to afford relief from this depres-
sion.
Right here it may be observed that
the depression does not extend to the
Pacific slope. The farmers on that
coast are more than usually prosperous,
and that from Mexico to British Colum-
bia, especially in Southern California.
We do not refer, at all to real-estate
speculation. The farmers out there who
tore down their vines and cut their
vineyards into building lots, allured on
by visions of fabulous wealth from the
growth of new cities, may have been
caught in the lurch, but those who kept
right on Saving wood" are getting
good returns for their time and money,
provided they only observe the good old
rule that she who by the plow would
thrive, himself must hold or drive"
This may be more prose than poetry,
according to the modern standard of
literary art, but it is certainly good
sound sense.
1t might be difficult to say which is
the greater cause of this depression,
lower prices for products or greater cost
of living. The prices of the things the
farmer buys may have fallen as much
as the prices of what he has to sell, but
new wants are constantly springing up.
Compare the present with the period
just before the war. The farmers were
just beginning then to have patent ma
chinery for their work, while now the
first cost of the tools and machines of
many a farmer comes well up toward
the value of his land itself. OF course
the land varies in price with its remote
ness or nearness to the great markets,
but there is great deal of positive ex-
in this line Of purchase,
and atill more waste in allowing ma
chimes and tools TO decay from ex-
posure to the weather when not in use,
be broken by carelessness or otherwise
allowed to depreciate. The keeping up
of machinery and tools has come to be
very heavy tax on the farmers of the
country, and no inconsiderable part of it
is really unnecessary.
The farmers purchases cover a very
much greater variety of merchandise
than formerly, and many things which
by prudence could be saved. AS a rule
our farmers are good providers. If they
were any thing like as economical as
those of other countries they would be
rich. What would pass in Europe for
generous living would be intolerabre
privation among our farmers. There is
no prouder evidence of our advanced
between America and Europe. But it is
easy to carry it too far, or, rather, 1t is |
hard to keep it within bounds. The
American farmer wants his wife and |
daughters to have not only all the COM
forts, but many of the luxuries of life, |
and at the present depressed price of |
products it is hard to keep the store bill |
down within the limits of what he can |
really afford. This is true not alone in |
dress, but in food supplies as we'll The
use of luxuries has increased enormous
Iy all through the agricultural districts.
All the legislation in the world can not |
afford relief. For the most part, the |
farmers must each for himself accept |
the limit of his net income, over and |
above interest, taxes and hired help. as
the limit of his expenditures for ma
,hinery, tools, dry goods and groceries. |
That, in plain Saxon, must be the be-
ginning of the end of hard times among
The farmers. Inter Ocean.