Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1890-04-30
IS [SRECOMMENDATIONS


e0se or causes and possible remedies
MI Of them appeal to me for soms
p<sion Of my views on the subject. To
4ee each one Of these communica.
] QEasPasaAssyswould b nofs than any
one man can undertake to do, and, more
over, am reluctant to send out an OF.
press,on Of my views in letters covering
merely phase or portion Of the questions
involved. Such course would be unjust
to myself and to those who address me. I
can Only consent to express my views, such
Is they are, on the entire question, review.
ing the whole subject and considering II In
all Its various phases.
The present agricultural depression. 1t
seems to me, can Be traced to combine
ton d many causes, SO many that prob
ably no one man can enumerate them all.
l will only endeavor to point out some
which seem to me moro directly responsi-
BILE. They may be divided into two classes.
First: Those causes inherent to the farm
ers themselves, and tor which they alone
can provide . possible remedy. Second:
Those over which the farmer himself has
no direct control, and the remedy for
which must be provided, Is far - remedy
is possible, by law, and for such legislation
the responsibility devolves upon the legis-
lative bodies of the state and Of the ma
tion.
what the Farmers Must DO,
will con6ne myself to mere enumera.
ton 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 And
want too often Of business like methods.
due to the fact that in earlier times bust.
pess training was not regarded ~ an
essential preparation for the farmers work,
whereas to-day with altered conditions,
whom every penny, and may say every
moment Of time has to be proAtably &C.
counted for and in the face of world wide
competition, . successful farmer must be
40 we'll trained and careful in business ~
the store keeper, and his equal in intelli-
gencs and general education. Nor are tho
important questions OF supply and demand
OF market prices studied With the vigilance
which characterizes the methods Of our
merchants and manufacturers. These
last moreover have the advantage Of
transacting their business In im-
mediate proximity to trade centers,
whore the widest information in
reference thereto is readily obtainable.
Our farmers organizations are wisely seek
ing 70 supplement this want for the farmer;
the agricultural press IL earnestly working
in the same direction and one Of the most
important duties dsvolving upon this de-
partment, consists in gathering aud
promptly distributing reliable information
on all those subjects which are essentially
interesting to the farmer. 1t remains for
him to avail himself Of the information
thus supplied as his chief protection not
only against over-supply Of certain pro-
ducts, but against possible over-reaching
on the part OF purchasers. The farmer
must look with suspicion upon any at
tempts to abridge the sources Of his IN.
formation. His advantage will always bs
in the fullest kno wledge 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 best goods at the best obtainsbis prices
that are the most readily sold. Many OF our
farmers have been land greedy, and find
themselves tho owners Of more land than
they con properly care for in view Of the
comparatively high price Of labor in the
rural district, and in view of the fact that
but small portion Of mankind. compara-
lively. can profitably control the lsbor Of
others. The pru lent farmer will limit his
efforts to that which he can efficiently per.
form. Again, more attention must bs
given, especially to our western farms, to
the raising by the farmer for bis own use
everything that may be utilized By himself
and household - far 30 soil and climate
will permit.
Farm Mortgage.
The burden Of mortgages upon farms,
homes and lands 10 unquestionably dis
couraging in the extreme, and while in
some cases no doubt this load may have
been too readily assumed, still in the ma
jority OF cases the mortgage has been the
result Of necessity. except, OF course,
such mortgages a. represent balances Of
purchase money, which are rather evi.
dences Of the farmers ambition and en-
terprise than Of his poverty. Or the other
hand. those mortgages with which land
has bsen encumbered from the necessity Of
it, owner, drawing high rates Of interest,
often taxed 10 addition with heavy com.
miestcn, have to-day, in the face Of con-
tinued depression In the prices Of staple
products. become very irksome and in
many casss threaten the farmer with
the loss Of home and land. II
10 qusstion Of grave di6Rculty "a
all those who seek to remedy the
ills from which our farmers are suffering.
Al present prices the farmer Ands that IL
takes moro Of his products 70 get dollar
wherswith TO pay back the dollar hs bor-
rowed than il did whom b. borrowed Il.
The interest accumalates, while the pay
ment OF ths principal seems utterly hope
less, and the very depression which ~ are
discussing makes the renewal OF the nost.
gage most difHcult. Many people ars dis
posed % associate this pfase of the subject
with the question Of IN undue linitasiou
Of our cusTsncy. Many carry this line ol
Argument to sxtrsnes, but Il 10 b. %
means impossible that these subiecls ass
correlated. However, the question u cur
rsncy y fecsivipg gsneral attenteotiou
from another bfsncA OF The sovssnmsnt;
iegisiat,on % this subject Il now pendiuG
before coaeTess. ard ~ esn no doub4 looi
for a. <ssly md satisfactosJ solution d
this vsxsd problem.
TranaportAsasn.
The Auaelion or transportation Il eno oi