The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-03-25

production or under-consIlmption. tht
fact remains and the effect upon the
! farmer Is Just the same under one name
as under another What | am after Is
facts; names and theories / willingly
leave to those who care for such things
Gong farther, a very long WAYS
farther than any of my critics, | have
found that the wheat supply of the
world is now but barely sufficient foT
current needs and that with one short
| crop throughout the wOrld-which
think Is likely TO be the case this year
the price viii advance greatly; and l also
! lind that the wheat supply Of the world
Is now increasing but S.100,000 bushels
/ per year while consumption Is increas-
! ing at the rate of 1905, coo bushels per
! annum, and that five years hence there
viii be an annual deficit of more than
/ 10000, 900 bushels IN the worlds supply.
/ resulting In high prices, possibly as high
/ as IN 1866 Moreover. the disparity IN pro-
/ ductiOn and consumption will continue TO
! increase indefinitely as there is no cOun-
/ try IN al this wide earth that can take
the place as an exporter Of wheat which
we are about to advocate for once and
all. Not this year however nor next.
| am not able 10 prove but l believe that
/ Just as soon as wheat advances sharply
in price we shall convert cOrnhelds into
wheatfields and then corn also viii adj
vance sharply, always, provided, we do
not have one or two crops in succession
which are above the average in yield.
Permit me to further state that the in
vestigatiOns being pressed show that. in
GLIDING the available lands in the Indian
Territory, all the lands Of the arid plains
and mountain districts, that is suscepti-
bic Of irrigation. all the lands of the
United States. state. college, school. rail-
WAYS and individual and so much Of eX-
listing farms as can be brought under
cultivation, yet there remains unoccu-
pied or unemployed OF arabic lands an
equivalent of but $50. 600 farms of 100
acres each and which is sufficient, when
brought under cultivation, to meet the
requirements TAT small rate of produc-
ton per acre and same rate Of consump-
ton per capita as now. Of the pOpula-
ton which will be added during the next
five years only. but it viii, think, be i'm
possible TO bring these widely scattered
lands all into cultivation within five
years, or even One-fourth of them, as
Indian titles must. in many cases. be eX-
IlllS tli0Hti, anu III OtlC4o INC O"Iltio
will prefer to wait for higher prices, but
not being able to get all these lands TO
help meet growing demands we shall be
enabled to dispose of the existing sur
plus of 10000. 900 acres of cultivated
lands, and when this occurs will come
the high prices which the farmer needs
no more than the tOwnsman who is idle
or unprofitably employed, solely because
the 26.000,000 people who live upon
farms have so little to buy with.
If the farmer was properly renumer-
ated for his labor he would buy immense
quantities Of the products of those who
work in shop and factory. An agricul-
tural population OF $4,000. 900 can not be
IN impoverished condition without affect
ing in the most serious manner the wei
fare of nearly every class. At all events
! have been SO informed and believe, as
/ also believe the denizen eff the town
would be better off by far if he was pay
ing 30 per cent more for farm products, as
his own labor would then be in constant
demand at remunerative prices in pro-
viding the things the farmer would then
be able to and would buy.
Whether the farmer desires it or not
there remains OF the arabic lands of the
United States but ten per cent. yet to be
occupied and this is, to all intents and
purposes, an exhaustion of the arabic
areas and viii speedily be followed by
high prices for farm products the world
over and high prices for such products
viii continue with or without free trade,
with or without mono-metaliSm. with or
without combines. as the farmer viii
then be able to sell when prices suit. can
always borrow on high priced and sale
able article and because we must soon
enter the markets Of the world and com
pete with other buyers for the purchase
Of part Of an insufficient supply Of bread /.
5tUifs.
Population ever increasing, such a re-
suit is the logical outgrowth OF the ex-
laustion Of the arabic lands. and aside
from an abundance of other proof that
such IS the case the exhaustion of such
ands is most clearly shown by the wild
with which ten men pounce F.
lpon every quarter section that IS thrown
open 10 settlement in Oklahoma, Sioux
Reserve or Cherokee Outlet. Is it not
lear that prices fell with the opening of .
90 many new farms and that when we
shall cease to open new farms in COnsid- I
erable numbers prices for farm products +
will advance greatly: This is the sum .
md substance Of my contention. and if /
prices did not so fall and at such time it I
5 easy to show the contrary by existing /
lata; let the critics do so if | am in error. /
{. WOOD DAVIS.