The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-11-27

have been issued by the bureau and have
resulted in the protection from loss or
damage of many millions of dollars worth
of property, as we'll as many lives saved
from impending danger. An increase in
the percentage of veritications is noted.
The report concludes with d comprehen-
sive review of the condition of American
farmers. Scventytwo per cent. OF the
farms in the United States occupied by
their owners the Secretary says, are al
Solutely free from mort cages or other in
cumhranceS. The Secretary refuteS the
idea prevailing that the farms of the W est
and South are more heavily hurdened with
mortgages than those IF the East and
Northeast States along the North Allan
tic, he says, are quite heavily incumbered
with farm mortgages, and New Jersey
carries Il debt of this kind greater in pro-
portion to its farm valuations than any
State in the Union.
! The frequent claim that the farmers are
almost universally in debt, respondent
and suffering, he declares to be without
| any foundation, helittlement of agricul-
ture and an in,ignity To every intelligent
and practical farmer. "Legislation,' he
said, "can neither pillow nor plant. The
Intelligent. practical and successful farmer
needs no aid from the government. The
|
deserves none. 1t is not the business of
the government to legislate in behalf of
| any class of citizens because they are en-
! gagged in any specific calling, no matter
| how essential tine calling may be to the
needs and comforts of civilization. Law
| makers cannot erase natural laws nor re-
strict or etface the operation of economic
/ ltN>.
Referring to the stress of competition
| which the American farmer is compelled
| to endure, Mr.. Morton calls attention to
the nearly 1000. 900 of farms of eighty
| acres each given away by the government
under the homestead act of lsii during
| the past thirty wears. and To the amount
| donated under the timber culture law,
| equivalent to over 0.U00 more farms of
same size Lands long titled and rendered
partially infertile could not. of course. en-
| hanre in value and sell in competition
| with virgin soil donated by the govern
| ment. No legislation relative to the pub
| lie domain has been So directly inimical to
| the farmers who had bought and paid for
| the lands upon which they had lived and
| abored. 1t was impossible for farmers in
| the old States to rrnttah V sell their pro-
| ducts IN competition with those of the
newe: States grown upon lands which
| cost their owners nothing.
hcltTTilS W the IMPRESSION tuat greater
| rates of interest are charged for money
| loaned upon farms than for tina: loaned
| upon other kinds of real estate. Secretary
| Morton states that the rate of interest
charged on mortgages upon residential
property other than farms averages eigh-
| ty-four hundre,lttS of one per cent. less
| than the rate of interest charged upon
| farm loans.
During the fiscal year just ended the eX-
ported products of American farms aggre-
gated $500 10000, an increase of $l.. 900.
| 600 over the preceding year. In spite of
| this there was a fallin" off in the percent
| age of agricultural products exported t"
| the total exports, hut this was due to the
| unprecedented sale abroad of American
manufactured goods.
The largest market for our products is
i admitted to be the home market, but the
| export trade is the regulator, the balance
wheel for domestic trade. 1t follows that
| the interest of the manufacturer. AS well
as of the farmer, is found in the most rapid
possible increase of the export of farm
products. General prosperity depends alb
soutely upon agricultural prosperity, and
| any commercial system which will in
crease with CELEBRITY and extend with GER
| tainty the export of our farm products will
| be of the utmost advantage to agriculture
| and all those interested in its profitable
expansion.