The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-12-30
Our Washington Letter.

to find their holiday season very satsfac-
tory one. The contrast in their cond ition
at the present time with that which exist
can party has just eliminated from the
statute books is very great, and every
farmer will doubtless appreciate it. They
have contributed very largely to the ex-
portations of the present year, which are
shown by recent figures of the Treasury
Department as greater than in any preced-
ing year in the history of the country. Of
course, the products of agriculture form
very large percentage of our exports.
Up to this time products of agriculture
form over IS per cent. of the expectations
of the year 1897, as 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 exports of the United
States for the year just ending will be
more than billion dollars, it will be seen
that a large amount of money has flowed
into the pockets of the farmers.
A study of the details of the prices re-
ceived by farmers for the articles which
they are now selling, as compared with
recent conditions, will be interesting at
this close of the year. Since August,
prices of wheat in New Y ork have lowered
along the dollar line, sometimes little
below, frequently little above, and the
climax was reached the other day in Chi
cago, when the price of winter wheat
touched one dollar and nine cents. Con-
trast this condition with that of short
time ago. On January ?, 1896, the prices
of red winter wheat No. in the New 1ork
market was sixty nine cents; on February
I. 1895, it was fifty seven ce nts; on Octo-
Der 1, 1894, it was fifty four cents and
traction.
Ohio medium class wool, which ia No
vember sold in the New York and Boston
markets at thirty cents, brought only
twenty cents in January of the present
year. Montana fine medium wool (scoured
basis) which in November brought fifty
three cents per pound, was worth thirty
three cents at the beginning of the year.
Kentucky and Indiana unwashed, which
| in October and November brought twenty
three cents a pound in the markets, was
worth but seventeen cents at the begin
ming of the year Lard, which in September
ranged as high as five dollars and twenty
seven cents, is quoted upon February II,
1897, at three dollars and ninety five cents.
Mess pork, which is quoted as selling in
the New York markets at two dollars and
seventy five cents in Sept ember, began
the year at eight dollars and twenty-five
| cents per. barrel. Beef, which sold in the
New York markets at ten dollars and
fifty cents per barrel in November of the
present year, is quoted at eight dollars
and fifty cents in the same markets in
July last.
In many other things farm prices
| steadily advanced, and farmers have
reasons to congratulate themselves upon
their improved conditions A recent
statement by Bradstreet's in which it
compares prices of nearly one hundred
different articles with former rates shows
an advance in November in corn, oats,
| potatoes, milk, beans, peas, hemp barrel
ed beef, mutton, sheep, hops, eggs, and
wool, while other articles of farm produce
retained the advanced position which
ii, l. -, .lo
That all these things have had their
effect upon the farmer and made his year
prosperous one is evidenced by reports
coming from every part of the country
showing enormous reduction in mortgage
Indebtedness. Thousands upon thousands
of mortgages, hundreds of thousands in
fact, are being paid off with the result of
a year prosperity under protection and
sound money, and hundreds of thousands
of homes will this year have for this reason,
as well as for many other merrier Christ
mas and happier New Year than they had
known during the period of free trade
and its accompanying troubles.
Not only in the matter of increased
earnings do the farmers find their condi-
ton improved, but coupled with this has
come a reduction in prices of many
articles which they must buy. Brad
street statement referred to above shows
reduction in November in the prices of
coffee, cotton sheetings, tin, print cloths,
iron and steel, coal and coke, and many
other articles for which the farmers
money must go.
The farmers have reason to congratulate
themselves also upon the change which
has taken place in the management of
their own Department of Agriculture
within the year. Uncle Jerry Rusk,
President Harrison S Secretary of Agricul-
ture, was real friend of the farmer, and
instituted a number of schemes which
have worked OUT to their advantage and
which are now recognized as permanent
institutions of the country, but the work
ings of his Department were largely ex-
perime ntal and it remained for his sue
cessor to reap much Of the benefit Of his
work. But President Cleveland's Secre-