The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-09-30

consumption, nearly thirty-f1ve hun
dred bu. OF wheat, some IL to Is hogs,
seven or eight head of neat cattle, and
three horses, besides large quantity
OF cream and eggs. In grain it was
more than the average annual pro-
ductiOn, in stock less. / have no
doubt but what many of you can
make better showing of amount of
products for the number of men en-
plOyed. But this instance l am famil-
lar with and it answers for illus
trating my point. Under methods
that prevailed less than forty years
ago it would have taken the manual
labor of at least eight men to produce
this output. l belive it safe to say
that in the production of bread-stuffs
the productive capacity of manual
labor has been increased at least three
fold within the memory of many of
you. In the production of other agri-
cultural products manual labor has
either been dispensed with or it's eff
cheney largely increased. AS result
OF this change, and it Gaze about in
very short time, much manual labor
employed on the farm could be dis
| pensed with. Population and con-
sumption increased, but not rapidly
enough to make up for the change.
many engaged on farms were COM
PEELED to seek other employment.
They had to go to the cities to obtain
work in the shops and factories.
| But 1t may be suggested that
Invention and the introduction of ma
chinery in the industries has has been
| greater than on the farm. This is
true. At first sight it would seem as
II manual labor would have been dis
| placed TO even greater extent in the
industries than on the farm, but
such is nOtlthe fact.
| There is this marked difference in
| the two classes of production.
In bread-stuffs, more particularly, the
consumption cannot be very material
ly augmented, except by the increase
OF population, no matter how much
production is facilitated and the price
cheapened. In manufactured articles,
or what l have called industrial pro-
ducts, it is entirely different. In these
| there is hardl yany limit to the amount
that can be consumed. Labor saw
Ing machinery in the industries
| simply meant more and cheaper goods
Owing to the better standard of living
| that now prevails the per capita con-
sumption of food has increased some
In the last 70 years, but it bears no
comparison to the remarkable in
crease in the consumption of manu-
| featured articles and luxuries. The
consumption of farm products-food
is limited by the capacity of our
stomach. The consumption of indus
trial products is only limited by our
| desires, tastes and means The pro-
| ductiOn of any commodity is neces-
sarily limited in the long run by it's
consumption.
AS there is limit to the consump-
tiOn of food there is also necessarily
limit to the number of people who can
be profitably engaged in farming. In
industrial products and luXuries,
there is, as | have stated, no limit to
consumption except the inability to
buy and there is absolutely no limit
to production. 1t will continue to in
crease, and cease only when the very
bowels of the earth have been turned
inside OUT" the elements have lost
their properties and the human brain
and hands their cunning. There is
therefore no limit to the demand for
labor in industrial production.
When we note these differences we see
why it is that industrial countries are
always richer than those relying solely
on agriculture. In such a country
there can never be an absolute limit
either to it's productions or the con-
sumption of it's products. 1t is our
proud distinction that we are the
greatest industrial as well as agri-
cultural country in the world.
The cities are the industrial centers
AS there is no limit by nature to their
industrial production so their appears
to be no limit to their growth-at
least not in sight. But l believe that
they have ceased to grow at the eX-
pense of the population of the coun-
try. 1t seems certain that so far as
the redistribution of labor made
ton Of machinery. Wv is concerned Concerned
it has been accomplished. l think we
have now about equilibrium. There
is no surplus of labor on the farms.
1t is scarcer today in the country
than in the cities. Another fact that
points strongly in this direction and
convinces me that am right is, that
agricultural products on the whole
have ceased to fall in price. OF course
they will vary some, from year to year
They are very susceptible to influences
that effect trade particularly such as
are dealt in on the Boards of Trade,
like wheat. l have no doubt but
what the cholera epidemic is the
cause of the present low price. But
on the whole l am confident that
prices on farm products have' touched
bottom" and that the tendency is up
wards. Another reason for this is
that the area of new lands capable of
cultivation is beginning to be quite
circumScribed. If there is a limit to
the consumption of agricultural pro-
ducts there is also limit to produc-
tion in sight, except as it is increased
by more scientific methods of farming
and this increase will not more than
keep pace with population.
In industrial products the tendency
is still the other way. Prices are fall
ing from year to year-in spite of the
Mckinley bill.-How long this will
continue no one can fC.retell. Compe-
titiOn and more economical methods
may continue it indefinitely.
Based on these facts believe that
farming, at least with US, has seen it's
low tide. The prospects for the future
are better prices for farm products or
at least not lower than now, and low
nricpS for 70 of