The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-24
CHE Wessengm.
WHEAT ADVANCE AND LOSSES.

There are a great many newspapers
amor the larger variety thai are not
particularly scrupulous in what they
uublish when their ends are sought.
They will exaggerate most widely In
statements and this applies to politics
generally. Figures are published AZ to
currency that are false and mislead-
ing. Statements concerning the tarin
ere given out that are baseless. Even
the important question OF crops are
often misrepresented and. doubtless
from design. The recent statement OF
Brigham, assistant secretary or agr1-
culture, that the farmers Will get $SVV'-
go 900 more in 1897 than In 1896 fs
doubtless a great excess. n not prob
ably even remotely correct Corton ~
lower thar last year, and wheat IS
higher. But If Mr.. Brigham Is correct,
the increase to the farmer Is not
brought about by anything else but the
large requirements of other lands.
Their calamities are the benefits OF a
class Of American farmers. That Ii
known to all people who q Tne
increase, whatever it may amount to.
for the farmers products Is the sole
outcome of crop failures in other coun-
trieseis Providential-and not in the
least degree owing TO any change or
Improvement in finances. Monentary
conditions do not in h remOtest way
enter into the increase of prices for
farm products. Next year, il short
e.rops should come to American farm
ers. and full crops or more should bless
European farmers and those OF other
continents, the whole aspect would be
changed. The prices would fall very
much and that too with short supply,
unless we shut out all products OF other
lands. When they suffer they are
Glad to get American products. If our
people, on the other hand suffer, the
republican plan and theory is to ex-
clude all foreign products, that prices
may be kept up artiicially at home.
1t is a very poor system, whether of
tariff or finance, or both, that makes 1t
possible only for the farmers to be
benefited when Providence smites
other peoples and for the time Ia
vors benignantly our own people. II 1t
requires famines or pestilence or blight
ing of crops in order to bring Increase
of profits to American farmers there Is
certainly something wrong some where
something out of gear in or
taxation. It is very gratifying to the
western wheat growers to get SO OF 100
per cent more for wheat, but this i'm
portant rise for them a proper
tionate increase for flour, for bread for
tens Of thousands of American burden
bearers and t~oilers, and hundreds of
millions of corresponding classes in
other lands.
But are the fair prices now equal
to the prices Of products in the past?
BY no means. The price Of wheat, for
instance, was higher in 1873 tina it is
now. 1t has been as high as $500 a
bushel since 1870. 1t would go there
sented were to operate without re-
straint of any kind. In 1873 h
fetched $1.15 in gold and when there
was nothing in other lands k the
~present-no famines and 10 great, uni
versal shortage in Europe. It is
stated to be a fact that from 1872 to
1881, including those years, the aver
age Of whea was $1.04 per bushel. We
recall that we have paid as high as
81. 90 a barrel for flour since our resi-
dence here. The following liable is not
without instruction. 1t shows the
prices and losses in the wheat crops
beginning with 1882: