Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1891-07-31

$3.50 EssSns.s
.II... /
ElWK nv NJ !
-
NJ KAN8AMs8 ABLE ANALYSIS
NR rAk AIfuATiON.
49,
-
- Onnaes - ASrseultvral Depresslen
- Rn~eAv Not - ~ r~n.d I. eha
~-ss- rs--s.s- =. !. = r-....s..
-.
Judge Jones, OF HUTCHINSON, KAN,
who visited Boston early. In May and was
interviewed by tho Journal. she'd 4 food
81 lfrht on the causeA OF discontent
amnne fha farmers and mada . vorv
cnc.l,,.fva .n..,ar - -. nn.nL..v -
o.sN S.Hm"N - : m,N I'M %
JeIry simpson n roger ~ Miils 1ne
farmers OF the whole country, said ne,
have suffered In recent years, but the
farmers Of other countries have suffered
far more. The cause OF this was aDtly
.arnreaeod ~ Oar Rutior a. hIs rocort
sadrns. rrhara hos Noon m oyarn.odn.
49,. ~ = 49," gu oso.pA nv
non IN tn0 leauinS Iarm prouucts. Inc
low prices c~onsequent nave Drought dls-
treSs to our farmers. But what Is the
remedy?
The great cure-ali 80 earnestly
taught. afrea trade with all the ma.
ticrs ~ thn ,vorld y v,n,id cort.;nIy
s.ii h.s". .auns u
M ~ o"inh i0''oA' no oo"'inao" .
lOiiows'
The Hon. Roger @. Mills Gays In the May
Forum: IL no Instructions, either ma ural
or artificial, should exist (batween nations),
prosperity would touch its highest possible
point, etc. The farmers of the great West
dr. mt kx.11ava shls d.,ctrinn srhoy unaAyI,r
cite an array Of facts that dispels such
illusion. Our farmers suffer from low
prices. But they complain Of prices as to
two classes Ut their products, that class
sold at home In competition with imported
products OF like kind, and that class OF
which they produce . surplus which can tie
sold In the worlds market.
There II practically no demand In the
worlds market for any farm product. Ok
copt for wheat, corn. cotton and meat.
The nation that supplies the worlds de-
mxnd for these ut the lowest price will
take the market.
The cause Of the suffering among our far
mers to-day Is low prices. Does any ono
believe that he will listen to that which
leads to lower prices still? A few facts will
help us 70 understand matters better. In
1883 there were but IL, 900, 900 acres of wheat
In this country. Then the policy OF OPEN
ing up the great West was inaugurated.
This policy grldironed that vast region with
railroads and peopled 1t with sturdy plow-
men. Farms were obtained virtually with
out cost. All this, coupled with the unsur-
passed. fertility of the soil, found us with
u. 100000 acres OF wheat in 1880, with q
product OF 40 200, 900 bushels. Our home
demand is but little short OF six bushels per
capita, and with 81, 000, 900 people In 1850
we ounda surplus Of 100, 00O. 900 bushels on
hand. We exported $50. O00. 600 bushels, or
IA, OO0, 900 In grain, the balance in Hour.
Tho uNAraWa avtNnrt CrfCa w~s 1t "A
bushel for the year and $l.l0 In 1881. Our
wheat acreage has remained virtually sta
tionary since 1850, and the annual product
has varied only with the seasons Our
home demand has Increased as our popula-
tion has multiplied until it requires at least
$50, 900, 600 bushels to supply the home de-
mand In 1890. Yet the export price Of
wheat has steadily declined until it was
but 81 cents per bushel in 1859. In 1889 We
exported but As, 00O, 600 Of wheat In grain.
Why Il this?
Not because the worlds demand has fallen
on. The worlds demand has averaged
eOB, 900, 900 bushels per annum for ton years,
the lowest, 1B6, 600, 900, in 1856, the highest,
231, 200. 900. In 1858, and varying az the
crops were good or bad In Europe.
+: Then why the reduction In price Of wheat.
and why our reduced exportsf
In 1850 Russia exported 80, 900, 900 BUSH
els, which Increased to 126, O00, 900 in 1883.
and lO7, 900, 600 In 1889. India from Is, 0O0,-
200 bushels in 1880 to 81, coo. 900 In 1859. Ar
gentine from 5000, 0O5 In 1881 to 5000, 600 in
1883.
This explains the troubles ia our wheat
growers We are being undersoid. 1t is
neither sentiment nor politics with the
buyer. 1t IL pure business. Russia has the
advantage In location, wages agricultural
labOrers receive - cents per day., and
freights. 1t cost IL cents to transport a
,bushel Of grain from Odessa to London in
1anuaRw 1SA0 n X rapts In Jannarv lkQn
and z cents in January, 1891. On Jan. 10.
189l, the best grade of wheat ct Odessa was
8S cents, to which add freight, Z cents, and
. bushol could, on Jan. 10, 1891, be laid
down In London for 95 cents, u price less
than prevailed In New York on that day.
These steadily declining prices have
caused great trouble to our farmers. The
year 1890 found them ready to supply tho
worlds wheat demand, whom suddenly
they found Russia, India, and Argentine
becoming competitors. And the worst of it
ia, these countries have all passed US In the
rate Of ~cheapness. In the struggle to sell
Cheap wheat. the fertile fields OF the West
have counted out the New England farmer.
The great West can produce wheat at one
halt what 1t costs to produce IT here. But
oven our farmers have reached q point be-
low which they cannot 70.
Il 1t any wonder they arc looking for a
way out, Them
The above figures prove to him that the
world's market means still lower prices Is
II any wonder that be turns from II, almost
with fear and trembling2 Our tariff laws
have not shut him out, for the Russian tar
IN II highOr than that of any nation.
But, says the free trader, the farmer must
~aexchangcn for the manufactured products
Of other lands. This will enable him to
obtain his manufactures cheaper than he
can get Thorn at home. The farmer sees In
this only An induccmont for him to send his
hulkv nroducta Mt great exnanssa NJ fraights
to the markets where he can only sell or ex-
change after running the gauntlet OF Tor
cign competition. Thus every dollars
worth OF goods so obtained Is at the ex-
ponsc OF home labor.
II u useless to attempt to lead the Amer
lean farmer into this trap unless it can be
clearly shown that the world wants his
producta At higher prices.