The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-12-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
wAsnlxeTos, D. c, Dec. ~ 1881

Win IHAt WHICH eAISbea ulioci bhC liIC
trade which the Republican party has
lust eliminated from the statute books
is very great, and every farmer will
doubtless appreciate it. They have
contributed very largely to the eXpor-
tations Of the present year, which are
shown by recent figures OF the Treas
ury Department as greater than III any
preceding year in the history of the
country. OF course, the products OF
agriculture form n very large percen-
tage Of our exports. Up to this time
products of agriculture form over 90
per cent. of the expectations OF the
year 1897, ms they did in 1896. In the
month of October they formed IS per
cent. of the total expectations. When
we take this into consideration and
then learn that the exposts of the
United States for the year just ending
will be more than billion dollars, 1T
will be seen that large amount of
money has flowed into the pockets of
the farmers.
A study of the retails of the prices
received by farmers for the articles
which they are now selling, as com
pared with recent conditions, will be
interesting at this close of the year.
Since August, prices Of wheat in New
York have hovered along the dollar
line, sometimes n little below, fire.
quently little above, and the climax
was reached the other day i'll Chicago
when the price of winter wheat touched
| one dollar and nine cents. Contrast
| this condition with that of short time
| ago On January ., 1896, the price of
red winter wheat No. 2 in the New York
| market was sixty-nine cents on Feb
buary Z, 1895, it was fifty-seyen cents
on October 4, 1894, it was iifty-four
cents and fraction.
Ohio medium class wool, which III
November sold in the New York and
| Boston markets at thirty cents,
| brought only twenty cents i'll january
of the present year. Montana fine medi-
um wool secured basis), which in Nov
ember brought fifty three cents per
pound WAS worth thirty-three cents at
the beginning of the year. Kentucky
| and Indiana unwashed. which i'll Oct
| Der and November brought twenty
| three cents pound i'll the markets,
was worth but seventeen cents ut the
| beginning of the year. Lard, which
| i'll September ranged as high MS five
dollars and twenty-scyen cents, is
quoted upon February II, 1897, Mt three
| dollars ninety-fve cents. Mess pork,
which is quoted as selling IN the New
| York markets mt ten dollars and
seventy cents i'll September, began the
Yenr Mt eight dollars and twenty i've
cents per barrel. Beef, which sold in
New York markets Mt ten dollars and
fifty cents per barrel in November of
the present year, is quoted ut eight
dollars and fifty cents in the same
markets in July last.
In many other things farm prices
steadily advanced, and farmers have
reason to congratulate themselves
upon their improved conditions. A
recent statement by Bradstreets in
which it compares prices of nearly
one hundred different articles with
former rates shows an advance in Nov.
ember III corn, oats, potatoes. milk
beans, peas, hemp barreled beef,
mutton, sheep, hops, eggs and wool,
while other articles of farm produce
retained the advanced position which
they had gained earlier in the year.
That all these things have had THEN
effect upon the farmer and made his
year II prosperous one is evidenced by
reports coming from every part of the
country showing enormous reductions
III mortgage Indebtedness. Thousands
upon thousands of mortgages. hun
dreds of thousands in fact, are being
paid off with the result of wears
prosperity under protection and sound
money, and hundreds of thousands oi
homes will this year have for this reas
on M well rs for many others merriel
Christmas and happier New Year thar
they had known during the period OF
free trade and its accompanying
troubles
! Not only in the matter of increased
etnlngs do the farmers find THEN
| condition iponro,.a1 I,,4 .,.,,,,.I,1 - 81
this has come reduction in prices OF
many articles which they must buy
: Bradstreet's statement referred t,
above shows reduction in Novembei
in the prices of coffee. cotton sheet
ings, tin, print cloths, iron and steel
coal and coke, and many other article,
for which the farmers money mus
go.
The farmers have reason TO congrat
ulate themselves also upon the change
which has taken place in the manage
ment of their own Department of Agri-
culture within the year Uncle Jerry
Rusk, President Harrison Secretary
of Agriculture, was real friend of
the farmer, and instituted number
! of schemes which have worked out to
their advantage and which are now
| recognized rs permanent institutions
of the country, but the workings of his
Department were Lar gelyaxperimental.
and it remained for his successor to
reap much of the benefit of his work.
But President Cleveland's Secretary
of Agriculture. Mr.. Morton, failed to
improve his opportunities, and seems
| to have been about the last man who
| should have occupied this important
position. Farmer Wilson, however.
Immediately upon his appointment.
pulled of his coat and has had it
of ever since. The Department has
undergone n transition and more
has been done in the genuine interest
of the farmer of the United States
than was ever dreamed of before
The new Saprptarv has iursuad a V;,t,