The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-26
OF both parties wf.1 lose interest. +
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"HEATsS ELlGIIAIlOAS.
whea, Is quiet, and the dssragogie has
a good chance TO revive his argument
that Mckinley Is responsible for the de-
cline In price. When wheat was dol
lar and a half and cotton was selling
for cents il was insisted by the Popu-
lists sha. Mckinley had nothing what
ever to DO with II. Now that the price
has gone down they insist that he has.
and that there viii be no relief until
we have q fifty-cent dollar.
The farmer frequently sees notice
I'm the windows Of stores to the effect
that certain articles will be sold OF be-
low cost He eagerly takes advantage
OF the opportunity TO buy and rejoices
In a condition that enables him TO get
from storekeeper ar article at lower
price than the storekeeper paid. The
farmer does not often stop to consider
that the reason the ssorekeeper must
sell his goods for less than cost is that
he has not used good Judgment in load
ing up his store beyond the demand: he
does no: consider that the storekeerer
would not be selling at a lower price
than cost IL the goods could be readily
sold at a higher price. This Is precisely
what happens when the farmer has TO
take less than cost. He and his kind
have raised more wheat than the mar
ket can readily take.
This is an old story, but every season
when the prices decline, as they always
do when the market has been satisfied
for the time. the farmer cries out that
the government ought to come to his
aid
This country does not require for its
own consumption more than 400. 900
bushels OF wheat. Should it at any time
raise much more than that, say $780,
ooo. 900. and there should not be a short
age in other parts Of the world, the
price must inevitably decline.
Farmers can surely remember that ev-
cry year the price Of wheat has been de-
termined. not by the conditions at home
SO much as by the conditions abroad.
The last year prior to this when wheat
touched the dollar mark was in 1881. 1t
Is true that we then raised over Gill;
900. 900 bushels. or 21l .O00, 600 more than
in 1890 1t was the luck Of our farmers
that there was a demand abroad. and
we shipped 49,, 0O0. 900 bushels abroad.
This was over 100. DOC. 600 bushels more
than we had exported the year before.
The reason we had a larger crop was
because wheat had gone up 10 cents a
bushel, from SO to 80 cents, and farm
srs Increased their acreage. Had the
yield been only 400. 900. 900 bushels. as it
was in 1890. and the demand-as, Of
course. 1t must have been--as great, the
price would probably have been So.
The following year about $4,000. 600
bushels were raised, but the foreign de-
mand fell off 100000, and the price
declined to below 50 cents, q drop of %
cents a busheL
Immediately thereupon the farmer
stopped sowing, and the yield for the
following year was under 400, 00o. 900. a
drop of 50 per cent. in two years. The
surplus of the two previous years was
being used, crops were good in several
foreign countries, and the demand fell
TO Ss,o0o.0eO, the price going with it to
s. cents. During the three following
years the yield averaged 420. 00o, 000 but
the exports fell to $4,000. 600 from $780,
oo0.o and the price dropped to 65 cents.
Last year the demand was very great
on the part OF foreign countries. and the
mediately said. If can make so much
money by cultivatine 1000 acres. can
make twice as much by cultivating
2,ooo." This might be true If few other
farmers did likewise, but 1t would not
be true IL ell did the same, and instead
of there being little over 400 oo0. 600
bushels there should be a yield OF COO
000. 600 bushels.
Year after year this has been the ex-
perience If farmers, and II does not
seem possible they can be deluded again
by the silver-dollar absurdity.
In every business II man has 10 sell
at a sacrifice because Of a giut, people
blame his bad Judgment; the farmer Is
thu only man who puts the blame upon
the crime OF 's5.