The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-06-25
Why Farmers Are Not Prosper
GUS.
TPhiladelphia Times

u
The Bureau Of Industrial Statistic.
at Harrisburg has been at some pains
TO gather information as to the con,
dition Of the farmers Of Pennsylvania
and find the agricultural industry
depressed in every county Of the State
As the inquiries were addressed Il
six hundred local oranges. which
made it their business TO distribute
them as widely as possible. 1t may b
taken for granted that the informa,
tion Is trustworthy.
In his annual report the chief oil
the bureau states that the most po.
tent cause Of the depression is over,
production. Statistics are quoted
showing that the corn ernr II the
country has increased 10 forty years
nearly fourfold. wheat fivefold, oats
fivefold and hay and potatoes in
equal ratio, while population has in.
creased less than threefnld In the
same peri1d. As the foreign demand
is decreasing owing TO vari ,us rea.
sons. it follows that the great agri-
eul ural staples have become drug
on the market. and that the f,rmers
of Pennsylvania. with small farms,
are at IA disadvantage in competition
with the great wheat and corn farm.
ers and cattle-growers Of the West.
1t is not necessary to look further
for the cause of low prices for agri.
cultural products, although Mr..
Bolles thinksrxc ssive transp ,tation
charges and the big profits / t mid.
dlemen have added to the depression
from which Pennsylvania farmers
are suffering. These daub. less have
still further reduced farm inc,m.s
in some cases, but the greatest d iii
Guilty is that the farme . are compel,
ing with each other tor tina home
market an | doing very lite, II any
thirg, tn extend their market abroad.
l. may be taken for granted, there.
fore, that low prices for farm pro
ducts have come to stay, except iu
exceptionally poor crop years. Penn.
sylyania farmers may increase their
income to limited extent by aban-
doning the growing of wheat. corn
and cattle beyond what are required
for their osn needs and deyotInp
the mselyes TO the cultivation Of pro.
ducts Of perishsble nature for lc-
cal market. Fruit vegetables, milk
and butter are all consumed largely
in the cities an | mining and manua
featuring districts of Pennsylvania,
and of these prodL ct, those watch are
freshest aud hsve n !ergoDe the least
transportation Ways command the
highest prices la the lucal make q.
h re is room i'r q or a. expansion
ii e supply Of these pro 'ucts for
the home market and the sooaer
Pennsylvania farmers turn their al
tention in this direction the bet er.
But the chief eau 9 Cf be farmers
lack Of p osperity lies in an ther
direction. Low prices for b crops
would not be so bad, provided he
was able to buy the goods he con-
sumes correspondingly chtap. But
when be must pay out of bis small. il :
come war taxes on all or nearly all
the goods he buys be en- never hope
10 be prosperous. With the price 81
his sugar increased ifty per cent.
and that Of the clothing for himself
and family and tue tools and machin-
cry he uses in Lis daily occupation
increased in o still Or a.er ratio By
tariff maintained To foster truss
and mcnppo.ies and pile up mon o
10 be squandered by politicians and
iobbers, he will b. compelled %
scratch pCor mans head indefinite.
ly
Ii the farmers Of Pennsylvania
want TO take the first and most i'm
portant step toward the bettermenI
Of their condition they will do ii b,
refusing TO sustain the war tariff
policy Of the party 10 power and de.
N 1ndiDg that tariff taxes shall be re,
duced 10 the necessities Of the gov,
ernment economically admin stored
When this 10 done they will not b.
compelled TO pay two prices .or every
thing they buy out Of the small in'
come they derive from products hat
ill an overlooked market. Until
this IL done il mat,ers II tie wha
else they do they cannot hope 70
even mod crate prosperity.