The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-01-16
Value OF rARuJNc IANDs.

'''' "h"io "Vliu--~iFe cqUallHln9 III NRlue.
The cause of this is the rapid improvement
IN the facilities for transportation. The
time has been when the lands nearest great
centers Of population were worth immensely
more than those more remote This was es-
pecially true of those situated within easy
reach of the Atlantic Ocean. In the early
part OF this century our farms along the AT
lantic Coast were worth vastly more than
any IN tue Interior, because their products
could be eheaply transported to England,
France, Holland and other European couu-
tries by sailing vessels. The farming lands
In those countries, on the other hand, were
reduced in price because of the competition
with the products of our seaboard farms
The construction of the Erie Canal, which
gave cheap transportation to the farmers of
inc Northwest, IN reach of the Great Lakes
and the development of steam navigation on
the Mississippi and its tributaries, which
opened up all the resources Of the great
Mississippi Valley, reduced the relative
value not only of European farms but of
those on our own seaboard. This was
counteracted somewhat by the rapid in
crease of population and manufacturing in
Eastern America and Western Europe In
the latter, however, the valuation of the
lands has steadily Deprecated for the farm
ers there have not only had to compete with
the rapidly developing agriculture of Amer
lea, out, on account of the great increase of
shipping and railroads, with that of the
whole world. The English, French, German
ana Dutch farmers have lost most of the ad-
vantages they had in the last century from
being within easy reach of the dcnsest popu-
lations IN the world. Grain and meat can
now be brought from Russia South America.
Hindustan, Australia and America as cheap-
~ as it then could be transported a few
hundred miles Consequently, the value of
Holland and Germany is reduced in proper
ton. It's only value over that of an acre in
Russia, Australia or Kansas is the difference
in the cost of taking the % bushels of wheat.
or whatever else it may raise, to London,
Rerlin, Paris or Antwerp, between that of
bringing the same amount of produce from
more distant acres
Take for example, the year 1926. The
average price for quarter of wheat (eight
bushels) in England that year was Gsy. Cd.
That was nbout s2l4 bushel. Conse-
quently the English farmer who raised 25
bushels on an acre received fotASthe protluct
of his acre $3.50, less the very small amount
which tcost TO send the grain to the nearest
market In 1884 the average price of wheat
In England was 32s. Did quarter, or 81 .00l
per bushel, SO that the English farmer only
got S25O3 for the product Of his acre. and
his land was consequently not worth one
half as much ms il was 60 years before. In
New York in 1926 the average price o. wheat
was 30 cents bushel, and in 1891 s9} cents
Thus the English had an advantage Of 81
a bushel over his competitor at our seaboard
in 1925, and but 90 cents in 1884 OF course
the Kansas farmer in 1854 received as much
less than 800 cents as was necessary to nav
the cost Of taking the grain to New York.
with the commissions, profits, etc, of the
middle men.
How, on the other hand, has this immense
improvement and cheapening of transporta-
ton facilities affected the value of our farm.
ing lands? Very disastrously. We have
no longer only to compete in the markets of
the world, with men occupying the scanty
area of high-priced farms in Western Europe,
but with those who till the immese tracts of
cheap land in Russia, India, South America.
and Australia Russia has nearly twice the
territory that We have; her peasants will
work for less than our Southern negroes
the Government is building railroads in
every direction TO bring the crops to the
seaboard, where they can be cheaply
transported TO the markets of Western
Europe. Iindustan has half as much land
as we have, and four times as many people,
who will live on n few handfnls of rice n
day, and require no clothing but a strip of
muslin around their loins. The eOnstruc-
ton of the Suez Canal brought Hindustan
900 miles nearer London than it was be-
fore. The English Government is gridiron-
ing the Peninsula of Hindustan with rail-
roads, which can be built for fraction that
il costs to construct such highway in this
country. The vast plains Of Australia and
South America raise limtless quantities of
beef and mutton, which can be taken 10
Europe in refrigerator ships at very low cost.
All these strongly tend to reduce the value
of American farming lands by lowering the
price of their products in the markets of the
world
There is only one way TO meet their COM
petition, and that is by developing markets
at home, and reducing the quantity of our