Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-09
IGNORANCE OR DECEPTION.
Governor Boies Does Not Tell the
Truth About IoWa's Indus
trial Condition.
The President Of the Agricultural
Association Denies the Asser-
tons Made by the Executive.
The Corn Growing States Mani
fest a Degree Of Prosperity
Hitherto Unknown.

Mr.. Albert Head, president of the Iowa
agricultural society, has written to the
Chicago Inter Ocean letter, in which he
takes Governor Boies, of his own state,
severely to task for his assertion at the
New York Reform club dinner that
Iowa farmers are in dire distress, and
that they actually have been growing corn
at a loss.
Mr. Head says:
And now, notwithstanding the fnan-
cial depression of 1873 and the heavy drain
of interest from the state, almost every acre
of land today i, under high state of cul-
tiyation or producing abundant pasture.
Neat and comfortable school houses have
been builded on every fourth section, and
MAGNIFICENT building and colleges in our
towns ana cities. Expensive churches of
beautiful architectural design adorn every
village, town and city.
Our state is checkered by railroads,
with beautiful towns and cities all along
the iron way. Handsome homes WITH
commodious barns, convenient oltbuild-
ings and well-flIed gralneries, adorn the
well-tilled farm where twenty-five years
ago the virgin soil was untouched by the
hand of civilized man. Creameries,
cheese and other factories have been
established all over the state. Imported
horses. cattle and hogs Of the best breeds
have been brought into the state, and are
rapidly replacing common stock on the
Fqrms. Millions have been expended in
.nese industries and invested in the improv-
ement of our stock, while millions ON mil
lions have been spent in making highways,
liling. building schoolhouses, churches,
HOSPITALS. court houses and other public
buildings, while the cost of the improve
ments on the farm cannot be computed.
Nearly all this vast amount of money IN
vested and expended, has been produced
by the farmers Of Iowa during the last
quarter of century"
Iowa is one of the states specially singh
ed out by 'reformers as furnishing an
example of the poverty-stricken agricul-
tural population. Yet Mr.. Head shows
that she produces enormously of corn and
other grains, live stock and dairy products
and disposed of the whole yield at good
prices. The other corn states-Missouri,
illinois and Indiana-are no less prosper
Gus. With nearly 3,5O0,000 acres of
tillable land, its price has steadily ad
vanced during the last FIVE years. He says
that "the farmers have been. reducing their
UtDlS, thCll eeIAo sum-
sending their children to college, buying
buggies and carriages, and enjoying more
luxuries than in former years, while they
have been better able to pay better wages
to hands, which is proof as strong as Holy
Writ that corn has not been produced at
loss during the past five years, and that
with an equal amount of money invested,
no industry yields larger or surer profit
than farming.
SO far as admitting the truth of Cover
nor Boiess statement that Iowa farmers
are growing their corn at a loss, the pres
ident of the agricultural society is 'hrm-
ly of the opinion that during the past
twenty-five years corn has been raised at
a profit, over ard above all expenses of
cultivation, Of more that 81 an acre to the
average Iowa farmer; and if fed to stock
and the increased value of land consider
ed, it would at least amount to S. per
acre per annum." and he believes that
the eople OF the great corn belt are 1.-The
most prosperous people on the face OF the
earth. "
What" as ks the New York Sun, say
the ffee-trader and The farmers alliance
men Of Iowa to Mr.. Head assertions?"