The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1896-10-13

4HlS suOWS tf.JO ulVIu6u ny lHdJ
our average per capita consumption Of
wheat in 1894 and 1895 was trifie
under A bushels. This was 80 per cent
below the per capita home consump-
ton in 1890, when times were good.
Surely any intelligent farmer ought
to be able to understand what that very
low consumption of wheat by our people
meant in 1894 and 1895. He realized
its force in the low price of wheat Our
people were out Of employment under
the Wilson bill and unable to buy and
consume as much as they did in 1890.
With consumption in 1894 of only
about 90 per cent of what it was in
1890, the value of our home market, and
labor fully employed, i'll relation to the
price cannot be overlooked. The value
of 'the markets of the world, supplied
largely by Argentina and Russia with
cheap wheat, are as nothing compared
with our own market. In 1890 wheat
was worth 98 cents, i'll 1893 only 70
cents, and i'll 1894 only 81 cents, the de-
cline in price being in about the same
ratio with the fall i'll home consumption
per capita. This presentation of facts
ought to be convincing.
With cheap wheat abroad it is always
of prime Importance that we maintain
by legislation among our own people
the highest consuming power, and to do
this labor must be employed. Men must
earn money in order to be able to buy
literally. The wheels of industry in
every direction must be kept in motion,
and they cannot be under tariff that
shuts our workshops and invites goods
from abroad
But let us put the same considerations
in a slightly different way. In 1890 we
exported only little over 90 per cent
of our wheat crop, which surplus must
always come into competition with for
eign wheat, the price thereof being fixed
abroad
As has been shown, wheat in 1890
was 9S cents. Times were good, and we
were able to consume 381, 900, 900 BUSH
els. In 1894 times were out of joint,
and we exported Al per cent of our
wheat because our people were able to
buy and consume only 231 900, 600
bushels, showing a loss of power among
our people, who were out of employ.
ment, to consume 100, 900, 900 bushels
compared with 1890, and that addi-
tional amount was forced abroad into
cheap labor markets known as "the
markets of the world This naturally
forced prices down.
What the farmer wants is as heavy
and as steady demand for home con-
sumption as we can give in order to
stimulate the employment of our people
and their consumptive power. Above
all things else, that tends to fix and
maintain prices.
President Cleveland's election and
the threat of free trade which it carried
with it stopped the wheels of industry,
threw thousands out of employment,
thus reducing their ability to buy and
consume. This is the relation, then, be-
tween tariff law and the prices of ag-
ricultural products, and it is factor or
issue which cannot be eliminated from
the present campaign.
Take corn as another illustration.
liC BilOO vi biilb CCItd1 Ill NtW QIh
in 1890 was 4S cents, III 1898 it was So,
and in 1895 it was only 80 cents The
crop in 1890 was the heaviest the coun-
try ever produced, 2,112, 600, 600 BUSH
els, and we We're able to consume 2, 009,-
900, 900. showing an enormous con-
sumptive power at home. In 1894, when
we produced 1,620, 600, coo bushels we
were able to consume only 1850, 600,
900 bushels, showing a surplus of 536,
900, 600 bushels and loss in power to
equal to 433, 900, 900 bushels
with 1890. If our corn crop
of 1894 had reached that of 1890, our
surplus in 1894 would have been 500 : |
600, 600 bushels. As we export an aver
age of only 2 to 3 per cent Of our corn it's /
price is probably regulated by home
and surplus of over
500, 600, 900, or 10 bushels per capita.
naturally affects the price of the entire I
crop. These facts are too plain to be I
misunderstood. e. Ham.