The Indianapolis journal., 1890-04-24
THEAGRICULTURAL0UTLOOK
Secretary Rusk Discusses the Question of
Depression and the Causes Thereof.
What the Farmer Must Do If He Would Be
Prosperous-Farm Mortgages and Trans
portation-Possible Remedies Suggested.

yesterdays issue of the Journal contained
an abstract of letter sent out by Secre-
tary Rusk. The text of the letter is ap-
pended:
For months past from all parts of the country,
there have reached me communications, many
eI them from large bodies OF men All sod o m e ~
them deeply in earnest respecting the present
condition of agricultural depression. . In most
OF the writer's not only as 10 the gravity OF the
emergency. but as TO its cause or causes and pos
sible remedies. and all OF them appeal TO me for
some expression of my views on the subject. To
answer each one of these communications sepa-
rateIy would he more than any one man can un-
dertake TO do, and, moreover, am reluctant to
send ou. an expression OF my views in letters
covering merely a phase or portion OF the
lust to myself and 10 those who address me. L
can only consent TO express my views, such as
they are. on the entire question, reviewing the
whole subject and considerngi II In all Its various
It would be work Of supererogation at this
severe agricultural depression. This is univers-
ally admitted. Representative farmers and
farmers associations are constantly calling my
for some measure of relief. The situation war
rants all the attention which our wisest minds
What is to be donel Such is the question which
confronts every thinking man. Too many OF
those who are giving the matter consideration
tributes the difficulty to one cause and one to
another, and most people seem to regard two or
three causes at most as entirely responsible Tor
take. The fact, however, explains TO certain
extent that some OF the remedies proposed bid
fair, f carried out. to bring about aresult as obec-
tiOnable as Is the present situation. Great dis
couragement Is very apt TO lead TO extravaganza
in deyising remedial agencies, and we must be-
ware of remedies that may be worse than the dis
ease. It Is only by very careful diagnosis or
the casa that we can possibly attain TO effieient
remedy. The present agricultural depression, 1t
many causes, SO many that probably no one man
can enumerate them all. / Will only endeavor
TO point out some which seem TO me more direct
ly responsible. They may be divided into two
classes. First: Those ca1ses Inherent to the
farmers themselves, and for which they alone
can provide possible remedy. Second: Those
over which the farmer himself has no direct con-
troll and the remedy for which must be provided
as far as remedy is possible by law, and for such
legislation the responsibility devolves up the
legislative bodies OF the states and Of the Ma
ton.
win confine myself to a mere enumeration of
the first class OF causes Indicated. On many
farms, regret TO say, we find depreciation OF
the productive power of the land due to careless
culture. We find want too often of business
like methods. due to the fact that in earlier times
business training was not regarded as an essen
tial preparation for the farmers work, whereas,
to-day, with altered conditions. when every
penny, and may say every moment OF time has
to be prof1tably accounted Tor and IN the race or
worldwide competition, successful farmer
must be as well-trained and careful in business
as the store-keeper, and MS equal IN intelngence
questions of supply and demand OF market
prices studied with the vigilance which char.
acterizes the methods OF our merchants and
manufacturers. These last, moreover. have the
advantage of transactng their business In i'm
mediate proximity TO trade centers, where the
widest information In reference thereto is read
ily obtainable. Our farmers organizations are
wisely seeking to supplement- this want for the
farmer; the agricultural press IS earnestly
OF the most important dnties devolying
upon this department consists in gathering and
ahl inf on
those subjects which are essentially interesting
to the farmer. 1t remains for him to avail him
self of the information thus supplied as his chief
protection not only against eyersupply OF cer-
tain products, but against possible over-reach-
ing on the part OF purchasers. me farmer must
the sources of his Information. His advantage
viii always be in the fullest knowledge of the
facts. He must carefully study the character
and the quality of his products rather than
mere quantity, and always bear in mind that
whether prices are high or low it is always the
the most readily sold. Many OF our farmers have
been land greedy and find themselves the owners
OF more land than they can properly care for In
view of the comparatively high price of labor in
the rural districts, and in view OF the fact that
but small portion OF mankind. comparatively,
prudent farmer will limit his efforts to that
which he can efficiently perform. Again, more
attention must be given, especially on our West
err farms, to the raising by the farmer, for his
own use everything that may be utilized by
himself and his household, so far as soil and
have passed over these various causes briefly.
do not deem 1t necessary 10 dwell upon them
at length but viii merely reiterate the fact that
for them the remedy is feasible, and it depends
upon the farmers themselves to provide IT. No
one can relieve them OF this responsibility, but
am thankful to say that, owing partly to their
own efforts, there exist to-day in many States
valuable instrumentalities capable of materially
aiding them In their work. and to-day, in this
country, no farmer need be without all the aid
tat knowledge and science can impart.
FARM MORTGAGES AND TRANSPORTATION.
The burdens of mortgages upon farms, homes
and lands is unquestionably discouraging in the
extreme, and while in some cases. no doubt, this
load may have been too readily assumed, still in
the majority OF cases the mortgage has been the
result of necessity. I except, of course. such
mortgages as represent balances OF purchase
money, which are rather evidences of the
farmers ambition and enterprise than of his pow
erty. On the other hand, those mortgages with
which land has been encumbered from the
necessities of it's owner, drawing high rates of
interest often taxed in addition with heavy
commission, have today, in the face OF contin-
ued depression in the prices OF staple products.
become very irksome and in many cases threat
en- the farmer with loss of home and land. 1t is
question OF grave difficulty to all those who
seek to remedy the ills from which our farmers
are snfferlng. AT present prices the farmer finds
that 1t takes more OF his products TO get dollar
Wnerewltn 10 pay back the dollar he borrowed
than IL did when he borrowed il. The interest
accumulates, while payment of the principal
ettmS uttcElJ uopclcsS, anu the very depression
which we are discussing makes the renewal of
the mortgage most difficult. Many people are
disposed TO associate this phase of the subject
with the question of an undue limitation of our
currency. Many carry this lire of argument to
extremes, but 1t Is by no means impossible that
these subjects are correlated. However the
question OF currency Is now receiving special
attention from another branch of the govern
inent; legislation on the subject is now pending
before Congress, and we can no doubt look for
an early and satisfactory solution OF this yexed
problem.
The question of transportation is one of pro-
found interest TO the American farmer The
trouble begins near home, between the farm and
the nearest railroad station. IL would be diff
cult TO estimate the amount of loss in time
tear OF horses and conveyances, entailed
upon the farmers by the wretched con-
dition of country roads before arriving at
the station; he there meets the yexed question of
freight rates, difficult one 10 settle satisfactorily
TO all parties under any circumstances, but in
many cases still further complicated by the con-
dition of our whole railroad system. Many of
the roads were built at a time and under cOndi-
tons that greatly enhanced their cost. C0mpet-
ing lines built under more favorable circum-
stances, present comparisons or inequality
which often seem like injustice, and. on the other
hand. IL must not be forgotten that many roads
are overtaxing their constituents in an effort to
secure dividends upon total OF capital and
bonded debt, portion of which is purely ficti-
hons That many roads fail 10 pay any divi-
roads throughout the country represent but a
comparatively small dividend upon the actual
cost OF construction, plant and equipment, still
in NO Wise palllafeS fhe grieVOuS A n