The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-02
SENATOR PETER.

KANSAS CITY, June L-oenator HeHei
arrived in the city yesterday evening from
Topeka to make arrangements for meet
ing of the senate committee on aSrlcui-
ture, which will be held here on june 10
for the purpose-of securing statistics con-
nected with the packing, milling ana
grain industries. The investigation VIII
last three days, and prominent packers
members of the board of trade ana mem
bers of the Stock exchange VIII be calied
upon to testify before the committee. A
stenographer will be employed, ana All
the testimony introduced preserved Ior
the compilation OF statistics regarding
these industries in general
Senator Peffer is the chairman OF the
committee on agriculture and has general
sunervision of this Investigation. The
committee has divided the work into two
parts. Senators Peffer, Washburn OF
Minnesota and Roach of North Dakota
yiIl investigate that branch of the work
relating to the packing, milling and gram
industries, and Senator's George OF MlssiS'
sippi Bate of Tennessee and Proctor OF
Vermont will make a tour OF the southern
states. investigating matters affecting the
cotton industry.
Senator PETER, who was seen last night
by reporter, said: There has been much
talk of late concerning a depression In
agriculture and other branches OF OF IN
dustry, and iJ will be the province OF TINS
committee to determine whether this de-
preston is any greater In its effect upon
agriculture than upon any other branch,
and whether there are not gains IN one
place that Will compensate for losses IN
another.
I'VE will ascertain he number OF cattle,
hogs and other live stock IN the market,
where they came FROM where raised, what
.AFf lpr
are paid andt received, the cost of trans
portation and everything connected with
live stock how muCn of the animal IS utlI-
lied and what waste there Is III the hlde,
hoofs and and horns It will be our OBJ
ject to ascertain, even # there Is loss to
the individual farmer, whether the public
is not benefited by the present general
utilization of the animal and 10 consider
the matter in its general ana broader sense
as it affects the people at large.
"A bout the same general questions viii
be asked of the millerS and grain dealers.
We viii ascertain their source OF supply,
where they distribute, average prices tor IA
term of years and all other information
concerning the industry.
Il am now visiting the cities where IN
vestigations will be held and making the
preliminary arrangements. The first in
vestigation will be held in Chicago June ).
From there we go to Minneapolis June Il,
Omaha June l5 Kansas City June II aud
Topeka June 2l After holding these in
vestigations | will do the rest OF the work
alone j will visit the capitals OF twelve
of the principal grain producing states
east of the Rocky mountains. From the
officers in charge of the agricultural de-
partments of these states l will obtain
statistics as to the quantity of grain aud
stock produced, the surplus products, the
values OF land and its increase or decrease,
the rate of tax aud what crops are consid-
cred profitable.
''In addition TO this will get the names
of probably fifty practical farmers in
different parts of each state aud send
Jhem lnterrogations as 10 the value OF
crops, whether they have increased or de-
creased from year TO year, and. il there
has been any change, what they think
probably caused II.
The committee will also ascertain what
effect the large increase III the farming
area, the improvement III farm facilities
and the introduction of machinery upon
the farm has had upon agriculture in gen
-eral. | can remember when IL took twelve
men one day to cut twelve acres of wheat
and another day TO work IT up in sheaves.
Now one man with binder can DO the
work 1t took twelve men TWO days to do in
bre day. This decreased cost IN produc-
ton must necessarily be taken into con-
sideratIon with the prevailing prices.