Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-04-10
now FARMERS ARs AFFECTED.

The hard times, dull times, or the de-
preston Of business, or whatever the
name we see nc To give the present con-
ditiou, has not until recently Affected the
farmer to any marked extent. The de-
nand for the products Of the farm has
been brisk, and prices for such ~ the
Eastern farmers, and especially those
here In Maine, are producing, have In
the main been fairly remunerative.
Wool and beef are the only marked ex'
ceptions TO this. 30 the farmer went
through the season Last year without
realizing any serious effect from the con-
ditions psrxlyfing other lines OF busi-
ness, aud enforcing idleness With Armie,
Of laborers.
During the past winter months .
change has been gradually but surely
coming on. The products of the farm OF
all kinds are In lessencd demand, and
consequently lower prices are prevailing.
Grocers everywhere are saying, "we are
selling no goods" (meanlng In compari-
son With former trade,) hence are In
different abou, buying, and only do 10 at
reduced values. This farmers are just
beginning 10 feel, but tie q condition
that will remain with us for some time
To come. Farmers will be compelled
the year To come, to take lower prices
for their products than for the year past.
For this they should already begin to
prepare.
While II is true that whether at work
or not people must eat, yet enforced Idle
ness compels economy Of expenditure.
II IL remarkable To what extent this
economy may be made to 80. An Illus
tration Il easily at hand. In nelghbor-
ing city IL IL said there are over thou
sand people subslstlng on the public
contributions made for the helpless poor.
IL L. also estimated that more than that
number ARE being helped To food by per-
sonal contributions of their friends.
According To actual statistics nj the
food markets, these people are being
subsisted on less than eighty cents per
week for four persons, or twenty cents
for each person. The amount furnished
Of course IL only barely sufficient To sub
sist those being fed. Further than this
In the same city are other thousands liv.
ing out of the little property they had
saved up la better times, and who are
ecohomltlng Ia the greatest extreme
possible la order 10 use NJ As little "a
po..lble of their laid-by earnings.
These classes make up q large propor-
,ion of every city population, and when
We multiply the one by the number OF
cities In the land, IL IL easily seen Why
sale. are small aud demand less active,
even Ia the great staple products on
which the people chiefly depend for their
subsistence. An exchange speaks thus
polntedly on this matter:
"IIere l., In miniature, an Illustration
oi how these hard times are afieciin. the
producer. Of brcadstuf'., for every city,
town aud community are experiencing
thl. burden Of constrained idleness.
when these thousand. and millions were
employed, "a statistics show, being
enabled 10 do so, they bought and con-
.umed more than i've times In value the
meats, br.adstufis, etc, produced on the
farm, that are now being consumed by
the Idle people. BY just 80 much now,
as this difference, l. this constrained Idle
ne.. affecting agriculture la cutting
down consumption of farm products.
o,-ca.ioually We hear II said that farmers
are not suffering by the hard times Ike
Otuff tlAs-t-s ~ ~ bt' b't "s''
plenty 10 eat, but otherwise they suffer
Nth all others In the low prices Tor their
proiucts. 4 writer on this phase of the
subject puts II tsrssly ss follows;
No people on the face of the earth are
NOR, interested In having good wages
aud good markets than are the farmers
Who ptoduce food for the people Of the
world. When necessity compels people
to econOmiye in their living, IL !. nmAf-
ing how small AN amount OF purchases
will sustain life. In all countries where
Wage. ate low, farm products are also
very low. A man In india live. on
cents day, because the wages he re-
e.ly,s compel him to do so. The labor
ing men OF the United States have been
exIsnding FROM sl.jOto sSa day. be-
cause they have been receiving that
amount for their work, and they have
been able to pay out that amount Tor
necessities, comforts, aud even luxu-
rics. Maine Farmer.