The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-10-15
Why PRICES ARE Low.
Decline in Agricultural Trade
Under the Present Tar
if Law.
FARMERS MARKET CURTAILED.
Idle Mills and Not Idle Mines Have
Caused the Husbandman'
Woes.

The farmers market is at home. If
his prices are now below the average
it is because his home market is Il poor
one. In it he sells two-thirds of his
wheat, 81 per cent. of his corn and nine
tenths of his meat and pork, nearly
third of his cotton, a quarter of his to-
bacco, and practically all of his hay,
wool, fruit, fowl and dairy products.
Farm prices, as whole, and taken
decade by decade, fall when the supply
all over the world is increased; but a
now. is due and due solely to poor
home market.
How poor this market is now, because
of the Wilson tariff and of currency agi-
tation, few farmers realize. See first
what this market is. The farmer sells
to those that work off of the farm. In
1890. and the number has not very
greatly altered, the workers off of the
farm were these:
Trade and transportation. ........ 1895, 962
Manufacturing and mechanical. -. 1901, 500
Mining and fishing. ............ 629,O9S
domestic ic and personal il........ 36o' 500
14354, 95s
On the farm, in the dairy and on the
stock range there are S3S4.112 persons.
These sell to the other 14,354 ,95S at
work. This is the home market. If
these IA, 354 1913 persons are at work the
farmers market is good. If not, not.
Are they at work? Take trade and
TRANSFORMATION. In 1894 the interstate
commerce commission found that 3d.,
994 persons on railroads had lost their
places. The railroads employed in 1890
149.3O1 persons, One-quarter of those IN
trade and transportation. If the rail-
roads have 1891 persons out of work
the express, telegraph and telephone
companies. hackmen and carriers, clerks,
cOpyists and mercantile men, bankers.
brokers and business men have at
least as many out of work. They prob
ably have more. This makes at the
railroad rate for the unemployed, and
this is known by count and not by
guess, $4,000 persons out of work. AS
sumo four persons to the one employed,
low average, and there is 100000
of population with the breadwinner out
of work in trade and transportation.
In manufacturing and mechanical
trades the facts are known as to two
cotton and wool. In the cotton mills
in 1880, 113,OoS persons were employed.
Today, out of 100000 spindles,
100000 are idle and nearly all the rest
are on half time. This means that
l-O,UUO COTTON operatives are luie. LII
wool, 40 per cent. of the mills are at
work-the test being the consumption
of wool in August. Out of $3.50
persons in hosiery, wool and carpet
mills in 1890 there are today $1,000
idle. This is matter of weekly re-
turns. In all, in cotton and wool, there
are idle POI 900 persons and many
have been idle half the last year. These
represent population of $4,000 whose
breadwinners are idle.
This is not ALL Deduct from manu-
features the 3OS,63S persons employed
in cotton and wool and there are left A.
1S3,O3l persons in other manufactures.
These are no better off than cotton and
wool in many trades. If in 30S63S
| persons in cotton and wool we know
that 2O1,OOO are idle, or two-thirds, it
| is low estimate that one-third, or L.
| 100000, are out of work or on short
| time in the other trades. In mining and
fishing the amount now employed does
not greatly vary from 1890, though
prices ait Low; TT taking
| trade, transportation, manufactures and
mechanical industries and this is our
| showing:
RallroadS. ..:...... 93,UoO
! Other trade and transportation. 279,00O
Cotton and WOOL. POI 900
Other manufacture and mechanical. ], 800, 600
2,o7aOoo
Here are 2,O73,OOO ont of work, with