Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-08-19
PER CAPITA MONEY.
DO PRICES DEPEND UPON AMOUNT
OR UPON KIND or MONEY!

GHOACo3OEB VINO AL0
Conducting the 'Nstional Financial
sehooi"-why Are Prices High and Per
Capita Money Low In silver standard
Countriess Should Deposits In Banks
Be Included In Estimating Amount of
Money Which Affects Pricesf
One OF the numerous ~fallacies upon
which the free silver delusion is found
ed Is the assumption by all silyerites
cheap money advocates that prices
are regulated by the amount Of money
In circulation and that there is any neo-
essary relation between prices and
amount OF money. When driven from
n position, the bimetallists take ref
uge IN another just as insecure and IL
logical, but perhaps a little more hid
den by sophistry. The more enlighten-
ed among them do not now assert that
to double the amount of money is to
double prices. They generally admit
that the rapidity of circulation and the
use of credits affects the efficiency of
money and prevents an exact statement
OF the relation between amount of mon
ey and goods, but that more money un-
doubtedly means higher prices, and vice
versa.
The per capita idea of money so prev
alent with silverites is disproyed IN
many ways. Statistics of prices and
amount of money per capita in use in
different countries at the same or ut
different times fail to show any GER
tain relation between prices and money.
Thus, while prices have declined in the
world and in this country very greatly
since 1900 or 1862 or 1872, the amount
Of money in use has increased encr-
mously. From a per capita circulation
of $3.50 in 1900, $14.6 3 i'll 1852 and
SIS. 10 in 1872 we now have one of S23,
and this Notwithstanding the greater
rapidity of circulation of modern dol
lars and the vastly improved and ex-
tended use Of credits. Will some ''more
money" advocate please explain this
great fall of prices in connection with
the great increase in per capita money?
Again, the per capita circulation of
the gold standard countries of the world
is about SIS; that of the silver stand
ard countries only about 81. 80. Will
some of the silyerite professors who are
conducting financial schools" in west
ern and southwestern states explain to
their classes why prices in silver stand
ard countries are about twice as high
as in gold standard countries, although
the per capita circulation is less than
one-third as great? Will they explain
that the value Of the material from
which money is made has much more
to do with prices than the amount Of
money in use? Will they tell their class
es that gold has always been more val
rable, weight for weight, than silver.
and that it has recenSy become 33 times
as valuable while most Of the coming
ratios of the world were established
when gold was only 10 or 16 times as
valuable as silver? Eill they then ex-
plain that the value of both gold and
silver bullion is fixed in the long run
by the cost Cf production and that there
fore the value of bullion does not de-
pend upon the quantity Of money in cir
culation?
Will they try to make it clear
that if it takes five hours Of labor to
produce a bushel of wheat and five
hours of labor to produce %. 22 grains
of gold one product will exchange for
the other-that is, the price of wheat
will be 81 per bushel under u present
standard? Will they then add that if it
requires only az hours work to pro-
duce enough silver (371L grains) to
make a dollar that the bushel of wheat
will not exchange for less than two sill
yer dollars, and that this is the reason
why prices are higher in silver standard
countries? Will they explain the origi-
nal American financial policy, which
was to keep the coinage ratio as close
as possible to the market ratio? Will
they ask the members of their classes to
vote to restore this thoroughly Amer
lean financial policy"
If the corps Of silver professors and
cheap money statesmen who are con-
Quoting the national financial school,
fail to answer the preceding questions,
perhaps they are willing to explain
what kinds of money are included in
making up the amount Of money which
affects prices. Does it include all kinds
of government or state paper money, as
we'll as gold. silver and copper coins?
Does it include bank notes, which form
q considerable proportion OF our present
circulating medium If you include
government and bank notes, why not
| include bank credits? Are not more ex.
changes and greater exchanges effected
by means Of checks than by means OF
either paper money or coins? Is it not
! as easy for one who has credit" (de-
posits) in q bank to buy and sell as II
he had money in his pocket? Do these
credits or deposits necessarily consist CT
money at ali? # man has that amount
| of property, can he not lave si,Ioo.OO
credit with his bank ON which to draw
checks at any time? Cannot such q man
| buy and sell on q large scale without
the use of ordinary money? Why Len,
should bank deposits net DO iLy -.-d IN
making up the per capita circulation OF