Willmar tribune., 1895-12-17
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18th, 1895.

4UESUAY, 7 DcCEMbEh IL IN, 1OOO'
FARMING CONDITIONS IN
STATE OF NEW YORK.
"One of the most interesting
documents relating to the report
of a committee of the New York
association for improving the
condition of the poor appointed
to visit the agriculture districts
Of New York and find out why so
many people drift from the rural
districts to the already congested
cities and why the farmers of the
state are complaining of ''hard
times" This committee has
done it's work aud it's report is OF
great interest.
AFTER making a thorough in
quiry among farmers and others
capable of giving accurate in
formation, the committee found
that farm land in the great state
had deprecated an average of 48
per cent in value; that agricul-
tural products had fallen off from
1858, 526, 1853, in 1869 to.S161, $685.
OO9 in 1889 (due largely to the
fall in prices@ that a large num-
Der of farms are abandoned to
mortgages and many houses
and barns are untenanted. Such
a condition of affairs in the veal
thy state of New York is remark
able at first sight, but not re-
markable after one finds out farm
ing conditions in the state. The
people gave various reasons for
the decline of farming, such as
low price of farm products, op-
ening of new lands in the West
higher price Of labor, deprecated
fertility Of soil, high taxation, un
protected farm products and ov~
reproduction. The committee
did not find anybody who charged
agricultural depression to the
coinage act of 1873, or to the re-
fusal of congress to enact free
silver bill. The committee found
that there is a strong tendency
Of the agricultural population to
go to the big towns and cities and
fully 80 per cent of the farmers
are anxious to quit their farms
and get work in the cities, SO per
cent of the farmers children de.
cline to be farmers or to stay on
farms, their argument being that
school advantages are better in
the cities; wages are higher; life
is easier. Under such circum-
stances the farm laborers are all
foreign and they absorb the earn
ing of the farmer. Generally,
the desire seemed to be for better
educational advantages and bet
ter school conditions.
1.-The fundamental cause Of the
discouraging situation was dis
covered by the committee in the
generally deficient and retro
gressive farming methods used
by the discontented farmers. -
Minneapolis Journal.
The Journal goes on then and
argues that agricultural schools
and better farming is the rem
edy. Very we'll. We all know
that is the order. But if over
production, ,as the report seems
to indicate, is one of the causes
of low prices, better farming and
bigger yields simply make mat
ters worse. 1.-The committee did
not find anybody who charged
agricultural depression to the
coinage act of 1873, or to the re-
fusal of congress to enact a free
coinage bill" Of course not.
The election returns of New
York State prove that the clod-
hoppers havn't woke up down
there. They don't know yet what
ais them. All they know is that
farming there is as a rule a fail
ure, and that they want to get off
the farm and into the already
over crowded cities to exc out a
miserable existence. They know
they get only half the money for
their farm produce that they got
Is years ago, and that their land
IS only worth half what twas
then And q number of them
have abapdo oned everything al.
teady so1 That hsdnses and barns