The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-06
THE FARMER IN THE IMPENDING
CHANGE

At the close of the seventh decade tht
agricultural populations of the temper
ate zones we're prosperous, and wherever
they owned the land they cultivated, ex
ceptionally SO; but with the advent O
the eighth decade conditions were inaug
urated that have procured change tha
has been as widespread as it has beer
disastrous to the cultivator. and while il
has lessened the price of staple food
products the world over it is more thar
questionable if this change, so disastrou:
to the agricultural interests, has bene
fitted the artisan and laborer. Although
it has enabled them to buy their food
for less money, yet probably such food
has because Of this change actually cost
them more labor than it would had
prices remained quite as high as they
were during the first half of the eighth
decade, as the changed conditions SUR
rounding the employment of the capital
and labor of the agriculturist have, in a
very great measure, destroyed the pur-
chasing power of the best and most
| numerous class Of customers of the
denizen of town and village.
The population in the United States
directly dependent up2n the returns
from agricultural labor for the means of
subsistence numbers some $4,000, 900,
and is 40 per cent OF the entire popula-
ton; and when. from any cause, the
purchasing power of two-fifths of the
people has been destroyed it means les
sened employment for others, lower
wages, and a lessened purchasing power
on the part of all the industrial classes
and more Or less commercial stagnation,
hard times and increase of Indebtedness
on the part Of that body of producers
whose wares are selling at or below the
cost of production. That this has for
years been the case with the great body
of American cultivators admits of no
question; and but one result could pos
sibly follow, and that we see in the les
sened purchasing power OF this great
body, and this clearly results in lessen
ing the purchasing power of all the other
industrial classes. Take one-fourth to
two-fifths from the returns of any con-
siderable body of people, and you will
almost wholly destroy their power to
purchase the products of the labor of
others. And this is just what has been
done in the case of the American farmer
and, for that matter, all the farmers of
the temperate zones-and his entire in
come mas been-taking the class as
whole-no more than sufficient to pay
taxes, interest, and provide bare SUBJ
sistence for his family. The result is
that he wears last years coat, buys no
hardware, builds few or no houses or
barns, makes his old buggy answer
another year, aud the daughter has to
do without the promised musical instru-
ment, the son cannot secure the educa-
ton expected, and the makers of hard
ware, coats, books, pictures, organs,
pianos, furniture and carriages, and |
teachers, transporters, merchants, jewel |
ers and professional men are but half
employed, and find it more difficult to |
buy flour made from 75-cent wheat than |
they would if wheat had never sold for |
less than SIS
This state of affairs has, however,
under the conditions which have existed
n THIS country, been inevitable, and is
not due to too much or too little cur
'ency, too much or too little protection,
90 much or too little free trade. or to
he unreasonable exactions of the great
lines, or yet to the baleful
md far-reaching practices of the board
If trade gambler in farm products, al
hough the causes named may, and in
ome cases certainly have been auxiliary.
The primary and potent cause lies
leep in that desire of the race to own a
home and to sit each man under his own
Inc and fig tree, which has found such
vide scope for its realization on the
public domain, where all were welcome
o farm without money or price; and
he result has been that in the absence of
retarding forest growth the cultivated
rea of the United States, in the four
cen years ending in 1885, increased 112
'er cent. While population increased
ut a. per cent.
Since 1885, however, a change. and a
one, has obtained; obtained ,
ecause the raw material from which {
arms are made has been practically ex-
aused; and while the population con-
lnues to increase nearly in the same
alto that prevailed prior to 1SS5-or 124 !,
er cent during the last five years-the
cultivated area has increased but 7 ,
er cent, and the rate of I
lch increase is yearly and pro- t
lessening, and one consequence
that the quantity of land in cultiva-
on, the product of which is necessarily {
larketed abroad, has shrunken from !,
1 900, 900 acres in 1885 to $500. 900 in :
800. :
The following table shows the progress I
American agricultural DEVELOPMENT c
uring the last twenty years, and offers,
the progressively decreasing rate at '
hich additions are being made to the :
area, the best possible assur- t
nee. Of the early coming of that time S
hen the farmer will be the most pros 4
erous member of the community: |
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