The Worthington advance., 1894-08-09
when Ii, duties of tho farm y, ,.as.

when the duties Of the fAzm ~ lsas
psessiug.s
| For the benefit Of the farmsEs raising
small grain, tho state has established
system of grain inspection, and ptovide|
laws for the regulation and control of ter
minal and interior elevators; and4A boar
Of railroad and warehouse commissioner
has been established and exists Tor tn
purpose of supervising and regulating tn
elevator and warehouse service and tn
grading and inspection Of grain. Thi
same board has also supervision and con
troll over our railroads, and acts Is arbi
traitor or umpire between them and th'
producer patronizing the roads, q to al
controversies touching transporting rates
or modes of service.
Neither is the dairy farmer ignored OF
neglected. A dairy department has beer
established and is in successful operation
especially designed to protect the farme,
against the evils of adulterated milk
cheese, butter and lard. And for the pur
pose of instructing him in the science ol
cheese and butter making, dairy school
has been established and is in successful
operation at st. Anthony Park, where our
! farmers can learn to become skilled and
| approved cheese and butter makers. That
| trust which the federal government en-.
tailed upon our state in giving 1t 8 liberal
land grant for the purpose of idrai ming
wet and Overflowed lands, has finally been
assumed by our state, and it is now en-
gagged, under liberal appropriations grant
ed by the legislature of 1893, in draining
for the benefit of the farmers of the Red
river valley some of the wet and over
flowed lands of that section, by opening
and restoring several of the clogged or
closed water courses existing in the valley,
and when the system of drainage so in
augurated has been completed, it will
render the northwestern part of our state
land of fertile farms second to no other
portion.
From this brief glance over the field Of
federal and state legislation it is apparent
that since 1860 there has been no incon-
siderable amount of special legislative re-
lief and assistance given to the farmers
and the agricultural interests of the coun-
try. No other class or interest can point
to any more or as much friendly special
legislation, and it has all been inspired
under the auspices and direction of the
Republican party In the light Of these
facts how can honest men claim that the
farmer has been oppressed or neglected
through want of friendly legislation?
Benefits of Protection.
Our protective tariff legislation, while
greatly extending and enlarging the field
of our manufacturing operations, and
greatly increasing the demand for labor
and palpably maintaining good wages for
the same, has also been of great advan-
tage to our farmers The large industrial
army fostered and maintained under our
tariff laws, has been the great consumer
Of our farm products and has furnished us
our great home market, which has alb
sorbed more than 80 per cent of all our
farm products. This home market has
not only been by far our greatest mar
ket, but it has also been our steadiest,
most remuneralive market. The farmer
has always Jared much better in the home
market than in the foreign market. Most
of our agricultural products are sold and
fairly good price is generally maintained.
We have considerable surplus of
wheat, cotton and corn to export As to
corn, owing to our peculiar soil and
climate, we have, to limited extent, a
sort of natural monopoly, and therefore
are not wholly at the mercy of the foreign
market as to price; but in respect, to
wheat and cotton the export price Of our
price of the home market. AS to products
consumed entirely in our home market
we have no competition of any conse-
wheat we are in compel ition with Russia,
Ay,cf md fho Arr
Republic. The latter is especially fast
becoming our most formidable competi-
tor. While we export a large surplus Of
wheat and flour, our products of oats,
barley, fax, hay, potatoes, cattle, hogs,
sheep, cheese. butter and eggs is mainly
consumed at home and the price is fixed
by the home market. This price is much
better and more favorable to the farmer
than the price of wheat, which is fixed by
the export price of our surplus.
The total value of our wheat and -four
export in 1893 was $169, ,029 ,317, while the
value of all other cereals and breadstufs;
of all beef, pork, mutton and dairy prod
ucts and of all eggs and hay exported, was
in the aggregate only s139, zoo, 900, leaving
an excess of sc, ,0OO, 600 in favor of -four
and wheat over all of these other products
combined.
have taken the pains to ascertain and
compile in tabulated form the price at st. |
Paul and Minneapolis of some of the lead !
ing products of our farms for the 10 |
months of the year 1898, with the average
price for the entire year, and for the first
seven months of 1894, with the average |
price for these months And this is the !
result:
1888. 1904.
Wheat. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 62 u |
OALS. .ss ~ ~ |
Barley 81 43 |
Potatoes .,..... go s.
Observation-Disclosures. ..........1 o. l26
Eggs NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. II IL |
Flu Creamery Cheese. .......... IL II |
Extra Creamery Butter. r.......... % 10 |
Fancy Creamery Butter. ......... II t II |
COEn ..................... 90 H of