Wichita eagle., 1890-03-09
THE TROUBLE IS WORLD WIDE.


Several contributors to your inter
esting and enterprising journal have
been endeavoring to show the cause why
of the depression which all admit te
exist in the value OF farm products, ano
consequently in the condition of ths
farmers. One saws the acreage cuitf
waited IS out of proportion to population
and hence little can be done except tt
grow in numbers up to the standard o
food products. Buckle, in his great bu
unfinished work, the History of Civil
ization in Europe" says that the growth
of population has always been mos
rapid where the bread-producing cerea
is most abundant and cheap. Hence the
theory that il we have the food
we shall ere long have the
mouths to feed. Ridicule is no.
intended, as the article in question was
dignified, able and worthy of careful
consideration. The failure of its logic is
found in the fact that its scope is con
fined to the United States alone. The
population of the principal countries OF
the world has increased during tie past
twenty-five wears to the extent Of many
millions, and out of proportion to the
area devoted to wheat culture, with the
exceptions of India and Russia. The av-
erage production per acre of this grain
"a fact to be carefully looked into in
making an estimate) has decreased in
the past five years in the United States,
and very probably in the continent Of
Europe; certainly in England.
/ It is we'll known that India is not re-
liable. every-year producer of wheat A
famine will make its population pur-
chasers instead Of sellers of this product.
The system of farming employed in Rus
sia is not to be compared with that of
the United States, the producing power
of one man there being less than one-half
| that of an American farmer. Therefore,
| Russia cannot greatly increase its wheat
| output without a revolution in its farm
! ing methods. and cannot afford more
expensive methods at present prices of
this cereal.
! If the writer of the article referred to
did not consider all these things how
much reliance can be placed in his con-
clusions: II his calculations are all
based on the idea that our wheat (Which
is used as a convenient eXample) must
find market at home, or never find a
market, he is pretty near correct; and
nothing but time would be remedy;
much like the statement of the doctor to
pa atient, quite sick with infiammatory
rheumatism. that the best remedy he
knew was 'ssix weeks Not very COM
fortlng in either case.
Now, great part of our wheat must
find a foreign market or, practically
no market at all. Else, why
should the west desire a deep
water harbor and cheaper transporta-
ton from its fields to that harbor:
Why care to cheaper transportation to
foreign market if we do not need that
market? Indeed, what need we care on
this score, if it be true, as some in the
heat of campaigns have said, that the
price of our wheat is not fixed in Liver
pool? If our wheat is priced in Liver
pool, why is it so cheap now? If not
priced in Liverpool why, in the name of
equal Justice to all classes, has the price
of wheat become so low, while that of
iron is rising:
If the first be true and over produc-
ton is responsible, then it is over-pro-
duction in the wheat countries generally,
and the increase of a few millions of
bushels in the United States last year
had little to do with it. Consequently
a poorer crop in those wheat countries
this wear would raise the price of that
which we may want to export.
If the second question be answered in
the affirmative, then the farmers of this
nation ought to be found, as one man,
asking that the burdens and benefits
which the laws can place or remove
shall be equalized, for it will not do to
point with pride to well-paid opera
tives in manufacturing districts as an
example of the superiority of our system
of government and of our laws when, at
the same time, the labor of the farmers
of the United States is as poorly paid as
that of the factory operatives IN free
trade England.
Now every sensible man knows that
for the purposes of fair investigation
of this subject "our field is the world"
He knows that the mills of Minneapolis
do not make the market for Kansas
wheat, but does know that such market
is made where ships unload their great
cargoes. No ships unload cargoes of
wheat at any port of this union, but
many ships receive there the golden
grain. Let US be agreed on this: We
must sell our surplus in the markets of
the world or keep it in our granaries.
The writer regrets that he can not offer
a remedy which can be used like pain
killer. guaranteed to give instant re
lief but he expresses great confidence
in the fact that this foreign over produc-
ton is not steady factor. Its potency
is now at its height. Six months from
now it may in large measure be re
moved as an obstacle to higher prices for
American grain. and then there will be
little need for remedy maker.
1t seems clear from the foregoing that
"option dealing" is not a sufficient cause
of the depression in prices Have we
not seen wild speculation in grain, and
good prices for the farmers at the same
time: Producer" in his paper lays the
blame on 'option" and future dealing.
?. y. broadens the view somewhat when
he saws we have "driven our foreign
customers TO the necessity of looking
to and building up other countries
from which they can buy without SO
much expense and annoyance OF
course he Is q tariff reformer. He, too.
needs time TO effect cure. The period
of convalescence would be long, very
long. Should the dream OF the tariff re-
former be realized tomorrow, it would
take many years, according to his own
logic, to put the people on a firm and
prosperous basis, for the saving under
lower tariff of each head of family
would not be large enough to retire on,
short OF twenty years. On the basis of
justice the argument is stronger for if
the present tariff system Is wrong in
principle and baneful in practice, il
ought TO be made right at once. Be
sides. it might happen that the markets
of the wnrfd'' wound occasionally be