The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1891-07-02
SAX CENTRE HERALD
THURSDAY, july 2. 1891.
A WISE FARMER.

Recently the HERALD printed review
OF the alliance platform, written by
practical farmer, and the following
sensible article from the same pen
copied from the Otsego IN. Y.) Farmer,
contains a world OF sound practical
agricultural economy, and is as apple
able to the western agricnlturist as to
the eastern:
The recent and sudden collapse in the
butter market is full and fair demon
stration of our way of destroying good
market. 1t was known to all our agrl-
cultural reading community that during
the last months OF the past winter there
was shortage in the butter supply.
Old butter was fairly used up, and the
daily supply of new was such that the
article demanded good price, and with
indefinitely maintained.
But what did our dairymen do! They
at once commenced to crowd their cows
with extra feed and to produce and force
upon the market an oyersupply, and as
ginning of the season for its best and
broken market Had orr dairymen
good price for butter would have been
received during the entire season and its
consumers would have been as well salts
fed to pay from twenty to thirty cents
per pound, according to quality, as they
now are to pay from ten to twenty.
1t is strange that men who claim to
ch0,rld r,ax
so little attention to tie laws which
govern the prices of all perishable articles
of food. Instead of regulating the sup
ply to the demand as near as possible,
and thus maintaining a fair and COM
pensating price, they rush in upon a
good market an oversupply, break it far
complain that producing don't pay.
We have watched this mode OF man
agement for years, and as often COM
in such matters is,-that good business
common laws of supply and demand.
Yeare ago, when hops were selling at a
dollar or more per pound, those whom
we thought men of sense, were firm in
the belief that low prices would never
again occur. During the"fast few months
good dairymen were common who con-
fidently affirmed that good butter would
not fall below thirty cents for years to
come.
Over supply is ever ruinous to prices.
1t is law which cannot be evaded. 1t
is founded in the nature OF things. 1t
applies universally IN all our doings.
And yet in our eager greed we are con-
tinually engaged in killing the goose
which lays the golden egg" Everybody
is clamoring for low prices for what they
wish to buy, and high prices for what
they have to sell, thus desiring to &C
complish natural imposslbilities.
A review of the past of our history will
reveal this fact, that all our people make
the most money when agricultural pro-
ducts bring the highest prices. Labor is
then in the best demand and at the most
liberal compensation therefor. The pros
perity of the agricultural community
means universal prosperity every time.
Were the farmers of our country to so
organize as to know of our peoples
wants and regulate the supply Of food
products to the demands of the markets.
a compromising price could ever be OBJ
tanned. and the wants OF the public be
met with full and fair supply at all
times at fair prices. These ups and
downs iii prices offood, above and then
below their fair value, is never beneficial
to any class Of our producing orconsun1-
ing population.
Why not make ;Stematic and perse-
vering effort to remedy this radical social
defect in our commercial agricultural
system of financial management?
H. BAKER