Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-03-05
FIGURES FOR FARMERS.
OUR FOOD-PRODuCING CAPAC-
ITY BEING LESSENED.

An Englfsh Rconoinist says that the
United states IL Steadily OvertalIng
Its Food Producing Capacity "A Matter
OF Interest," TO Farmers.
Several years ago, In an essay on
finance, Robert Giffen, the English econ
omist, called attention to the fact that
the population of the United States was
steadily overtaking its fc ID producing
capacity. III the Democracy intends, as
announced by the free trade organs, to
repeal the Mckinley bill and reduce
duties to revenue basis, says the New
York Press. the American farmer should
lose no time In ascertaining whether Mr..
Citizens statement Is true or not. If the
remarkable development OF manufactur-
ing industries during the last twenty
years OF protection has changed the
United States from food and raw ma
terlal producing country to great in
dustrial nation, which annually demands
for its centers of industrial energy more
food and more raw material, then policy
which will bring ruin to the urban popu-
lation will be followed with distress in
the rural districts which no extension Of
foreign markets for food could possibly
allay.
For Western farmers realize that the
growth OF the non-agricultaral popula-
ton of such States as Ohio, Michigan, IN
diana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, California,
and Oregon has not only been actually
but relatively greater than that of the
rural population. These States contain
1873 cities with population of $1,000 and
upward. In 1880 the aggregate popula-
ton in these places was 1868, 500, and In
1890 6,305, 955, an addition of 2,636,056
to the population engaged mainly in
manufacturing industries. This addt-
tional population requires for consump-
tion or for Its necessary subsistence per
annnm 10, 600, 600 bushels of wheat and
90, 000,0 bushels OF corn, and proper
tionate quantities OF other farm products.
The production OF corn increased 3s2, O00,-
600 bushels since 1880, that of wheat
$500. 900 bushels, that of potatoes Is, 0OO,-
900 bushels, and the production of other
provisions in proportion to the demands
of an increased population at home. On
the other hand, the consumption of corn
increased by 2S5, O0O, 900 bushels, that of
wheat 22,O0O,OO0 bushels, and other
produce In accordance with home de-
mands by increased population in cities
and towns.
ton in the older Western States in
creased very slightly during the last dec
ade, In some cases remaining almost
stationary. Ohio, for example, shows an
increase ofnearly 45 per cent i'm urban
population, and only AZ in rural; Indi-
ana, nearly 43 per cent. in urban and ~
in the rural; Illinois, 90 per cent. in the
-nrhan and less than percent. in the
rural districts. In Wisconsin, the in
crease in urban population was nearly
Sc per cent, and In the rural districts
151S per cent; Iowa, SO In the urban and
1919 in the rural; Missouri, 461s In the
urban and II In the rural; Michigan, SO
per cent in the urban and about Is In
the rural The rate of increase, of
course, In the rural districts of the newer
States, such as Minnesota, Kansas, Ne
braska, and Oregon, was more satisfac-
tory, but, nevertheless, entirely over
Swallowed by the growth OF towns and
cities. In Minnesota the growth OF urb-
an population exceeded 231 per cent; In
Kansas 116 per cent: and In Nebraska
1t reached the astonishing rate of 338
per cent, Curiously enough, the per-
centage OF growth is found to be more
evenly distributed in California than in
any other Western State. Here the to-
tai growth of population was about 40
per cent, the urban growth about AZ
per cent, and the rural growth a trifie
over IS per cent
To sum up, we find that the total pop
ulation of twelve States referred to was
in 1880 Is, 26s, 396, and that the increase
during the decade was 5,1O4,2 OF
this increase 2,636,056 was urban popu-
lation, and only 2,46S,19 rural. Yet
the rural population in 1880 was IA, $685.
497, and the urban population in 1880 was
1853, s99. II this rate of increase con-
tfnues through another decade we shall
approach very nearly to the condition
referred to by Mr.. Giffen, and have little
or no food to export, because it will be
sold In the home market at good profit.
You may tell him that the farmer feels hap
pier and calmer
When he sells his stuff at home than when
for distant points he packs,
For q factory hiring labor is a profitable
lieighbor,
But the parrot will once more say: 1.-The
tariff Is taxi