The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-03-06
Questions Of Public Interest.

Questions OF Public interest.
l.. Should the amount OF circulating medium
Of the u. 8. be increased
2. Do you favor free coinage OF silverf
8. What are the causes and remedies of agri-
cultural depressionf
4. Should the us. Government own the rail
roads. telegraph and telephone lines and the ex'
| press businessf
8. Are you in favor Of verdicts by majority
Of the iuryi
9. Should the U. s. Senators be elected by q
| direct votef
z. Should not the u. 8. senators be nominal
cd by their respective parties, and Legislators
elected on that issuef
/ g. Should presidential electors, except those
at large, be chosen by districts, asperlegislative
resolution
9. Should free passes be accepted by lcgislat'
10. Should there be sworn statements by can
didates as to campaign expensesf
II. Would you favor semi-annual collection OF
taxesf
10. Do you favor the addition OF the southern
tier of townships In Sag nav Co. to Shiawasseef
Is. Should the county seat be removed from
Corunna to Owosso.
IA. Would you favor the agitation Of the local
option law and its enforcement
Is. What has been the result of the Patrons
movement
for the q. A. X. encampment at Detroit.
II. Do you favor holding alternate terms OF
circuit court In OwOssoy
l6. Do you favor cooperative business ven.
ture like the Shiawassee Co. Milling Association
and are there any reasons why this should not
succeed.
The two sets Of answers published from
those received in answer to questions asked
in last weeks TIMES are we'll worthy of
| careful reading, One Is from a farmer. and
| the other from a gentleman long connected
with the banking business. Other answers
will be published next week.
1. Yes. Our rate per capita is being
annually reduced by the rapid increase of
population and large add tiOnal business en-
terprises. Also the rate in the u. s. Is far
below that of any other nation, either i'm
ratio to It's inhabitants or volume of bust
ness.
2. Yes. Believing 1t will stimulate the
working of mines containing 'lOw grade"
ore which do not pay to work and develop
at present, thereby giving employment to
men and machinery and taking from the
earth a capital now In idleness and reserve
and place it where II will add largely to the
oitu plOopOiity Vi Jul ui'p' ~ 10
also shown that in a country where coinage
is free. that the holders Of bullion and
foreign coin prefer to accept the cash for
same at a small discount rather than wait
for free coinage at the mint, as the loss of
interest by delay is usually equal to the dis
count.
8. Foreign competition of our leading
cereal, placed in the market by cheap labor,
with which the American farmer cannot
compete and prosper. The high rate of in
terest which the farmer has to pay on his
loan from the receipts of his products sold
at prices below the real cost of production
keeps him in debt, bring discomfort and
anxiety to leave the farm and labor by the
day in the city for a small pittance with no
hope beyond his present condition. For the
past seventeen years the products of the
farmer have been annually falling off in
price, while the rate of interest paid has
been nearly or quite the same as has also
been the cost of production and living.
In 1869 the government borrowed money
at 2 $40 per cent, now at 8 per cent. The
farmer then obtained his loans at z per cent
and sold his wheat at say $2.25 per bushel.
Now he bOrrOws at Z per cent and sells his
wheat at 90 cents to pay the same rate of
interest. Statistics show that the state of
Illinois has 255, TAI farms at the average
value Of a trihe less than $50 per acre. that
the whole are mOrtgaged at an average of
SIT an acre. Probably IL sold at forced sale
for cash would not bring more than $25
per acre in the depressed state of our
market.
Here we see the farmer paying a large in
terest on more than one half the capital he
has in use and after he has done that, paid
his taxes and other necessary expenses how
is it possible for him to be happy and pros
porous.
By giving him money at a low rate of in
terest, reducing all county, state and nation
al taxes and expenses to the lowest possible
minimum to give him a better reward for
his labor, and change his present-seeking,
making it from the city to the farm. Then
will We realize a prosperity of which the
present is but a shadow. ii. K. G.
| will attempt to answer a few OF your
questions as viewed from my standpoint and
not from a partisan politician.
First. Yes, as there Is not now enough
money in circulation for the transaction of
business. The tendency is to hoard it up
by the money lenders to increase the rate of
interest.
coinage of American silver with proper re-
Stt CsiOt VI WI ~ iho " 1
vantages Of the miners or silver kings.
Third. To your third question l would
say the causes are so many and the RENE
dies arr 30 hard to find that 1t has puzzled
far greater minds than mine to intelligently
place the first or apply the second, but to
make a jump at 1t l would say there is too
little money In circulation, thereby causing
too high rates of interest. Second, too low
prices for the products Of the farm in COM
parisOn to the price OF the articles the farmer
has to consume that he can't produce.
Third, too little respect paid to the interest
of the farmer by the government, both State
and national. Remedies: First, more money. |
Second, more markets for our produce.
Third, less class legislation and more legis-
latiOn in the interest OF the whole people.
To your fourth question would say yes,
when the government is in a position to run
them in the interest Of the people.
Fifth. No.
Sixth, Yes.
Ninth. No.
Tenth. Yes.
Eleventh. Yes, by all means.
Twelfth. Yes. IL they wish ii and it
would cost us nothing and it would not
wrong Saginaw county.