New-York tribune., 1896-11-23
AMERICAN AGRICULTURE.
INTERESTING FACTS FROM THE ANNUAL
REPORT OF SECRETARY MORTON.

RATES OF INTEREST ON FARM MORTGAGES LOWER
THAN on OTHER FORMS OF PROPERTY
ENGLANDs PURCHASES IN THE
AMERICAN MARKET
Washington. Nov 22-In his fourth annual re-
port the Secretary of Agriculture shows that WIN
$3.50 900 which NAV be saved from the appropra-
tions for the current fiscal year there VIII nave
been covered back into the Treasury since March I"
1883 over $4,000. That this great economy was
effected without any loss of efficiency Mr. Morton
attributes In large degree TO the Improvement
in the personnel of the force under 'iVi Ser'ice
rules One more step Secretary Morton deems
necessary 10 complete the system OF tiVh service
I'm his Department This is the appointment OF
permanent director in charge OF bureaus ana
scientific investigations" who shall be designated
TO serve as Acting Secretary In case OF the ao-
sence simultaneously of the Secretary ana the
Assistant Secretary.
He declares that the chiefs of scientific bureaus
and divisions and their assistants do the actual
thinking and reasoning for the development OF
agricultural science. and adds that these persons
not adequately compensated lie states 'ha'
during the past few years no less than thIrty-t"o
skilled experts in the Department service nave iei'
It to take places in institutes of learning at saia-
res averaging fully 30 per cent higher than fhey
were getting from the Government
The inspection of animals intended for food Is
treated of at length Mr. Morton urges that Gov
crnment inspection should be extended 10 All am
mails intended for food whether for consumption
In the United States abroad, but he maintains
that the cost of this inspection should be paid by
the packers The total consumption OF meat IN
Great Britain for the year 100000 tons. 10 per
cent Of which was produced at home, the remain
ing % per cent being imported. OF live meat ar
irving in the United Kingdom during the first SIX
months of 1856 the United States supplied 'olo per
cent Of the cattle and 1926 per cent of the sheep
rttoer
abroad is that cattle from the United States arrive
IN English ports in excellent condition The Gas
gov market is especially recommended TO American
shippers. in that city cattle from the Chited
States compete with the very highest quality OF
British animals.
American packers are not participating In the
profits of the growth in consumption OF SWINE
flesh and hog products in Great Britain as much
as they ought TO. because they do not cure meats
to suit the British demand; on the other haho'
Danish and Canadian packers are increasing their
shipments every year. American bacon averages
about 9 cents per pound below Continental ana
Irish bacon and about cents below English
The shipment of American horses TO England is
steadily increasing In 1893 Great Britain took
1871 American horses. nearly 1900 In 1884, ana
$4,000 in 1885, and during the first nine months of
1876 more American horses were shipped TO Eng
land than in any previous twelve months
The seeds distributed gratuitously by the Govern
ment during the present fiscal year weighed 23O
tons and occupied thirty mail cars in transit
The cost Of carrying them through the mals was
over $4,000. Enough seed was sent out gratni-
tously to plant rs square miles OF garden Each
Congressman received enough TO plant lsS's acres.
For the current year. present prices, the amount
required by Congress to be expended in the pur-
chase Of seed will make each Congressmans quota
double what it was last year The secretary calls
this an unnecessary and wasteful expenditure OF
public money and hopes Congress may In good time
put stop thereto
Secretary Morton refutes the idea prevailing that
Inc farms of the West and South are more heavily
burdepe3 with mortgages than those OF the East
ard Northeast States along the North Atlantic
he Gays. quite heavily ncumbered with farm arm
kind greater in proportion to its farm valuations
than any State in the Union s,.A ,.,.
Referring to the stress of competition which tne
American farmer is compelled 10 endure Mr.;
Morton calls sv es9n to T peah ;h iaIa
the Homestead Act Of 1856 during the last thirty thirty
culture Law equivalent to over $4,000 more farms
of the same size. 1t was impossible. he says; for
~ in 'ee Te With those Of the
States. grown upon lands which cost their owners
Referring to the impression that greater rates of
are charged for oaned rds 1pn1 Of rea
Morton ths5 the al
nSnerf aheI than ms
hundredths OF per cent less than the rate OF
States the average rate charged the latter is
less than that demanded for loans upon otner resi-
Dental property. In two States the rates are the
same upon urban and rural real estate In Penn
sylvana Maryland, Virginia, West virginia Ken
and Alabama the rates of interest are less for
money secured by farm mortgages than for money
secured by other realty: In fve States inclnoing
Kansas, the difference in favor or the farmer Is
9 f' the pS Western ssn farmer M pays higher
interest than the Eastern. so also does the west
ern merchant, common carrier or manufacturer.
During the fiscal year just ended the exported
products Of American farms aggregated sSUoWwr,
an Increase of si70O0.0p over the preceding year
In spite Of this. there was falling off in the per-
oentage OF agricu'ural products eXp1red to the
dented sale abroad Of American manufactured
goods. e.. .ou,oa roa,,o, g.
and her colonies These English-speaking people
bought 5s per cent Of all exports from the United
many France. Holland and Belgium they pur-
chased SO per cent OF our entire output leaving
Isl per cent for the rest OF the world. -
Secretary Morton asks if nation which, like
the United Stat possesses the greatest power and
which the world demands. is not destined to
monopolize the markets OF the globe with the
mi arrcuIture and the iishest burden National
taxation. what country. he asks. can compete WIN
with a minimum Of human effort. With our won
derful labor saving contrivances applied 70 nearly
every avenue OF production the wages paid IN me ine
ION for instance are 20 100 per cent higher than
in the countries with which we compete. while the
wages paid in manufactures from metals are IRON IRON
q 10 100 per cent higher than the wages paid
workers in the same Industries by Other pat9pns;
Observation-Disclosures the fierce competition
which Is met all over the G-obe-American agrI-
culture. manufacture ana commerce are sseaaiy NY
1srred wages fund on gold basis. out Of which
some millions OF American laborers and skilled
wb;ch they and their families largely depend for
employment and comfort