The morning call., 1891-01-30
LOANS ON LAND AND PRODUCE.

1t will be a mistake to assume that
Wednesdays vote on Wilson's land loan
.-ssslstia-,s ssiAts he e.siaaio.. OF cs.aifsr.is.
tla- s--Sjs~+ tHisS Se.-ss to ffaEc
been PckwlekiaD, and the vote to have
aimed at turning the scheme into a bur
lesque. Senator Wilson of Tehama, who
was the author Of the resolutions, is himself
the owner of some 10000 acres OF land
That he should be in favor OF the Govern
ment lending him half of its assessable value
at , per cent is easily understood from his
point Of view, but from any other it seems
eomical Ragsddle of Sonoml tried TO cut
him off by putting through an amendment
providing that no one owning over section
of land should be entitled to the benefits of
the new scheme. Dir. Ragsdale has prob
ably never heard of the trick by which one
Individual or one syndicate takes up thou
sands of acres of timber land. though the
Law forbids any one from locating over 100
acres.
Mr.. Wilson's second resolution is an in
dorsement of the Sub Treasury scheme,
which was first proposed in Kansas. 1t
directs the Government to receive in Gov
eminent warehouses and lend money at q
nomina rate of Interest on farm products.
The Tehama Senator urged it in a speech in
which he drew q parallel between himself
and Dayy Crockett, aud wound up with
burst of song-so that his audience, carried
away by enthusiasm, passed his resolution
with only six negative votes He is not the
only man who thinks we'll of a vegetable
Sub-Treasury. In late number of the
Congressional Record we note that Senator
Frye presented to Congress a petit on in
favor of having the Government receive
potatoes Oh deposit. and issuing thereon
fQO,l ton dar. I'll.
bushel. 1t is not Davy Crockett whom
Senator Wilson reminds people OF, but
rather Sir Toby Belch, when he was in
admirable footing"
Under all this comedy, however, there lies
serious question which thoughtful men
will detect. In many sections of the coun-
try remarkable concourse of circumstances
has rendered agriculture Improbable. 1t is
not so in California. Here the vast variety
of products which our soil will yield, and
the nigh prices which many of them com
mand, insure the farmer against loss except
on rare occasions. But in those sections of
the country which are exclusively devoted
TO the production of grain there is no money
In the business save in exceptional cases
where the cost of production is reduced to
minimum and happy combination of cir
cumStances secures maximum price for the
product. The average wheat or corn grower
of the central valleys, having 100 acres under
the plow, and selling his wheat on the farm at
less than a cent a round and his corn at less
than half a cent, does not make wages by
working his farm. That is hard, palpable
fact 1t is 10 wonder, under the circum-
stances, that the farmers of the grain States
should cast about for relief from some quar-
ter, and it is not surprising that their first
schemes should be visionary. 1t would be
remai kable If they we're not. But because
the first notion of the farmers is to get the
Government to help them with loans in de-
nance OF the cardinal doctrines on which
our political system rests, and in contradic-
Ton oil the laws of political ecoLomy, il does
not follow that they will not by and by
llght upon plans for improving their con-
otlon without departing from sound prin-
ciple. The world has not reached a fnalitv
IN political science. New principles are vet
20 be discovered that will relieve hardships
Tor which 1t now seems difficult to discover a
remedy. There ought TO be way of secur-
Ing proper reward for honest labor be-
slowed on fertile soil. The day will come
when that way will be found, and the farmers
should not be dissua1ed from endeavoring
to find it though they should seem to start
out by taking lhr wrong road.