The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-01-09
PRICE OF WHEAT.
It's Decline Not Caused by Over Pro-
luctiOn.

Its Decline Not Caused by Over Pro-
ductiOn.
| To the Editor:
wish to say a word to my brother farm
| ers, who have been continually stuffed into
the belief that the cause of low-priced wheat
| Is in consequence of over-production. That
that is not the cause, let a few facts and
| figures bear witness to an intelligent and
confiding people. The Chicago market
quotes cash wheat down to SIC and Coo.
May is down to 5Sc. Wheat is selling on
the Pacific coast at &c., And yet the crop
is the smallest in the last nine years.
(Wftness No. ~ According to the census
statistics. in 1880 there were produced in
the United States 1885, 1868 bushels of
wheat, or SO bushels per capita, and valued
at 95.1c per bushel; in 1880 there were $685.
$4,000 bushels, or 63 bushels per capita
produced, valued at $3.50 per bushel; in 1898
there were produced $685. 131,7 25 bushels, or
SO bushels per capita, valued at 53.Sc per
bushel. Call Wm H. Yeomens (witness):
1t has been said and with much truth,
that If the farm products this year could
be sold at the prices prevailing in 1873, they
would bring the farmers nearly ST. 100000
more than at the prevailing prices. Now,
supposing we number those of engaged
in agriculture 100000, the above amount
divided among us would give each one 5000
to jingle In our pockets. Do this, and we
would cease bowling calamity for the space
of one year at least Fearing to be ac-
cused of partisan prejudice, let me call Sem
ator Cameron. He said: 1.-THE single gold
standard seems to be working ruin with
violence that nothing can withstand. l
have little hope for the future of this
country unless silver is restored to the po-
sition it occupied as a money representa-
tive, and regardless of other nations, l
believe the United States has the power to
establish and maintain its currency with
silver in the list against the entire world.
Without this l have serious fears for the
future of fair land"
Brush the cobwebs out of your ears and
listen In the first place, other causes be-
ing equal, did you ever know very bOun-
tiful crop to command a high price, or
very small crop of anything that did
not bring a high price? In other words
does not the demand tend to regulate the
price? If not, is it not the part of wisdom
to look Cor the cause that throws this gen
eral rule out of joint, making valueless
rule? If the farmers have produced only
80 bushels Of wheat per capita for the
consumption of the people when in 1880 it
required nearly 10 bushels, either people
are learning to live without eating or
part of them cannot afford to buy when
the price is so low that it is largely used
as hog feed. If laborers other than farm
ers produce wealth averaging so worth
per day and only receive as wages $140
as their SHARE it is perfectly plain that
part of the community cannot buy back
what it has produced or it's equivalent of
what others labor has produced, when if
our social arrangement were perfect the
products of the labor of one could be ex-
changed equitaby with the products of the
labor of any other wealth producer; where
as, while the absorbers of wealth require
more than they can consume or use, then
that part of the under consumers will con-
tinually increase in numbers while the
middle class will inevitably step down and
fill their vacant places until all of that
class will become wage slaves, still
worse, fill up the ranks of the unemployed.
Did the Creator make the earth too small
for it's Inhabitants, or do some of the
people have more than they can occupy and
use? If the farmers own and pay taxes
on 100000 acres in Minnesota, while the
railroad magnates and land spectators
own 100000 acres without tax would not
the single tax all land relieve the farm
ers of One-half their tax burden? If the
tariff tax takes so per cent of all their
purchases, would not free trade relieve
them of more than they would pay for
the value of their land under the single
tax. JONAS H. HOWE.