The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1894-04-06
DOES FARMING PAY?
Answ efs to the Question Returned to Kan.
sas Labor Commissiouer.

AnsW efS TO the question Returned to Nam
sas Labor Commissiouer.
TOPEKA. Kan, April S.-Pursuant to
special act of the legislature of 1898,
directing the Kansas labor depart
ment to investigate and report on the
farming industry of the state, Labor
Commissioner James F. Todd yester-
day transmitted to the governor the
facts ascertained through such investi-
cation. The work submitted is de-
signed to be an answer to the ques-
tion, ''Taken as q whole, does farming
pay? Why?"
The scope of the work embraces IF
teen years, ending January /, 1894. In
a series of 106 tables is given the num-
Der of bushels of corn and wheat, the
local shipping price, and the total value
of theoe in each county for each year
for the five years ending January l,
1884, which was the beginning of the
boom period. Then covering a period
of ten years ending January 1. 1894, is
given series of LOG tables, showing
by counties the number of bushels of
wheat and corn produced in each coun-
ty each year, the local shipping price,
the total value; also the value of wheat
ano corn each year at the general aver
age price for the preceding five years;
also the net loss to the farmers by de-
cline in prices
The conditions or circumstances that have
caused the price Of these two principal cereals
to show an average annual diminution, or the
remedial course to be pursued. is left fer the
consideration Of the philosopher and states
man. 1t is suficent for this work to have de.
termined that in the last ten years Kansas has
produced 3T,7J4,S S25 bushels Of wheat, the value
Of which was sl5s I74, 628 73. that had wheat
maintained its price Of the five years,
ended January !, 1884. this wheat would have
been worth s2i6, ,3f s0J.52, or a net loss to the
farmers Of the state, occasioned by decline in
price. Of $E,S4, 1910. Also during the same
period the amount of corn produced in Kansas
was l.473 $50, 3lS bushels, the value OF which at
local shipping price. was $33a,s74 Tae value
OF this same corn, at the general average price
for the five years ended January l, 1884, would
be $is3,S)oS47a, or net loss Of tli7 SS2, $751; "A
to the growers of corn.
The total amount of mortgages farms in
Kansas. according to the census in 1890 is
ei67, 1909 On wheat and corn the total loss
during the ten years, in which this mortgage
debt was mainly contracted was $235, ,753 0a3. 8,
or an amount that exceeds the entire mortgage
debt BY sH, COZ, 9sl5s In the IO6 counties given
in this report there are 1St,il0 farm
homes, and unoccupied tiliable land
enough for double that numter. OF this
number however, 1884, ,5I7 farms are cultivated
wholly or in part by owners. while the tenant
farmers reach the number of 1888, or nearly
43 per cent Of the entire farming population
An es stimation OF the vslue OF farm products
consumed yearly by a farmer and his family Of
five persons is found to be 1882 %, as based up
on responses from l.Ol6 prominent farmers re-
siding in as many different townships OF the
state. The earnings OF q farmer and his fami-
iy, five In all. is S'6l95
From this department was sent 1,9lS letters
manV different farmers the state. ask