, 1890-08-07

NO Need of Sending Abroad for
Supplies.

| FARMERS ARE NEEDED.
NO Need of Sending Abroad 70
Supplies
Tacoma Lodger.I
The Ledger yesterday called at
tention to the fact that the center o
population Is rapidly coming west
ward, and that the probabilities arr
that the present census will show 4
to be somewhere In tho state o
Indiana. Apropos Of this IL the ad
ditional fact, of even greater impor
tance, that the value of farm
lands throughout the East is depre
ciating with rapidity that is little
less than startling. Tho Albany
IN. W Argus, speaking on this
subject a few days ago, had this tc
say:
The depreciation in the value OF
farms In this state of late years Is a
fact generally known; but the ex-
tent of the decrease In population In
agricultural New York when
made known will startle every
one. From such census re-
turns as have been published
the statement can safely be made
that outside the twenty-nine cities
of the state, and dozen villages
already large enough to become
cities and soon to be 80 In fact, the
population of New York state,
shown by the present census, will be
less than 1t was thirty years ago, by
the census of 1860. The statement
Is an astonishing one, but the census
figures so fur published point to 1t.
The census of 1880 indicated sharp
decline IN the population of agricuI-
tural New York, but not enough to
prepare us for the belief that, outside
of Its cities and biggest villages,
the Empire state has retrograded
thirty years. We have no doubt
thai the present census is more of u
fraud upon the farmers Of the state
than upon the cities, and they
should be more earnest In the de-
nand that the next legislature order
Mt once IA simple and reliable count
OF the people. Even that, we be-
lleve, will show u decline In popula-
ton since 1880, but not so bad US the
present census indicates.
This is but another proof of the
fact so often stated by the Ledger,
that the West, and particularly the
great Northwest IL every day assum-
Ing greater agricultural and CONNER
clal Importance, and that, as the
states retrograde, this West
ern territory will advance in wealth
and population. Hundreds of farms
IN Vermont and other portions of
New England have been abandoned
the last decade, and so serious
has the aspect of affairs become that
,ome of the states have actually put
n operation plans of colonization,
foreign farmers over in the
hope that they could succeed
v here the American agricul-
.urists failed. OF course these
can result only i'm one
way, and that is In failure. The
great West is too fertile to fear any
from the sterile soil of
he East. Some years ago wheat
ised to be raised in the New Eng
and and middle states; now there Is
comparatively little cultivated there.
With the invention of improved
and appliances, the West
,rn farmer Is enabled to raise his
products on scale that simply par
ilyzes competition on the part of
.he Eastern tiller of the soil, who
mas been forced to go into chicken,
stock and fruit raising in order to
Ike out subsistence.
Another reason for the deprecia- |
ion of farm lands is found in the |
distaste tor agricultural
on the part of the young
men and women of the rural dis |
riots. Comparatively few farmers
ons stay on the farm; they crowd |
nto the cities, where, IL Is true,
many make their fortunes, but |
where the great majority do not
,etter their condition. Authentic |
satisfies show that, at the begin
ling of the century, only one-thir-
ieth of the population fthe United |
States were residents of cities of
900 and over inhabitants, |
While the present census will |
how that about one-fourth live In
he cities. This urban movement is
feature of modern civilization that
s puzzling many of the wisest men
II the country, among whom its |
'auses are by no means thoroughly
While states are, and
nave a right to be, proud of the
growth of their principal cities, there
ire other things to be taken into
AS was pointed out
II these columns not long ago, in
'eferring to the marvellous strides of
Tacoma, the growth and
development of a state should
,e syinmetrical; all should
20 along together. Otherwise
he cities will have to wait for the
'ountry to "catch up" The state
reeds farmers as WELT as artisans and
capitalists. The tiller of the soil
lere will find profits awaiting him
hat he never dreamed of in the
Cast. The fertile valleys of Wash
ngton are waiting to be brought un-
ler cultivation, and, with the rapid
y increasing population, this will
'ecome more and more profitable.
With our own soil under proper cul-
there would be no necessity
or sending to Oregon or California
or our fruit or other products.
An Old Claim.