Evening journal., 1897-02-24
THn FARMING ouTLooK.

The old saying that misery loves
company is particularly adaptable to
the agriculturists of the country at the
present time. 1t is a well-known fact
that farm property in the old world, as
well rs In the new, is steadily decreas-
ing In value In England farms are sell
ing at a ruinous reduction from their
former value, and in many cases cannot
be sold at ALL We are told that prop
critics within two hours ride Of Lon
don are deserted. and It is shown that,
at the sale of Langdon Abbey, six hun
dred and thirty-nine acres Of land with
farm house stabling, homestead and
seven modern cottages sold for only
$500, or less than 6 per acre.
Fifteen years ago the property named
above was valued at nearly four times
that amount and was mortgaged for
G140O0 In Essex county, within a
days walk of the Bank of England, a
farm which in 1876 rented for e4O0,
has for the last five years rented for G1
per annum, the occupant paying the
taxes, amounting to about G15O, and
we are assured that in many cases
farms have been sold for one-tenth Of
their value of twenty years ago.
Our farmers, unfortunate as they
have been, have met with no such do
probation in the value of their hold
ings as those OF their British cousins,
and, if they have reason to complain,
they can point to the latter with the
feeling that they are still worse off than
themselves. Why this is SO and how to
remedy it, is attracting the attention OF
some of the wisest men of our day and
generation. But the outlook is by no
means hopeful in view of the fact that
Lord Salisbury, premier of England, re-
Gently declined to receive a deputation
of English farmers, saying that he
knew as much about their wants as
they could tell him, which was no doubt
true.
In this country the farmers have not
otherwise reached such an unfortunate
state as they have in Great Britain, and
efforts are being made to ameliorats
their condition. With every prospect
OF a more favorable state Of affairs, ths
condition OF our farmers can hardly bS
compared to that of England, and we
have plenty of cheap land controlled
very generally, by some of the most in
telligent people in the country. It is
plain that farmers here can always
make a good living If they cultivate
everything that they can for home use
on their own farms. They may not be
able to supply themselves with silks
and satins, but the means of a comfort
able living is always within the reach
Of everyone in this country who Is
willing to work for it and is endowed
with good Judgment and practical com
mon sense.
There is, however, much truth in the
contention among our agriculturist'
that legislation favors other interests
to greater extent than it does that o
agriculture. This should not be so, anC
it has been the cause of sowing mucl
discomfort among our agriculturists
There is no good reason why mining
banking or manufacturing should b
especially favored by legal statutes, 0
is why the farmers in order to d
away with this favoritism should at
tempt to break down any portion of tn
fabric which forms the strongest an
best government in the world The
let the farmers come to the front an
demand their rights, not to destroy, bu
TO take their proper position as tn
most necessary industrial class in tn
country.