Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-13

The English Royal Commission on
Agricultural Depression, which has
considered for the past four years the
cause of the fall of prices in agricul-
tural products, after thoroughly in
vestigating the subject in all its bear
ings, has come to this conclusion;
We have no hesitation In expressing
our entire concurrence in the opinion
that the present crisis in agriculture
is due primarily to the fall in prices.
In order to remedy the fall in prices
the commission has recommended a
number of palliatives, such as lessen
ing foreign competition, decreasing the
acreage, reduction in rents, amending
the agricultural holdings ect, changes
in the system of tenents, rights, ETC.,
but confessing at the same time that
these palliatives would be OF no per-
manent avail. The Commission says:
We do not claim for these reoommen-
dations that, either singly or in the
aggregate, they will prove to be COM
plete remedy for agricultural depres-
sion. They are in the nature of pallia-
tives, and will, we hope, if carried out,
do something to case the position of
occupiers of land, and enable them to
conduct their business to more Rdvant-
age.
Thus it will be seen that, so far as
the original report of the commission
goes, it recognizes that the cause of
the depression of agricu lture is falling
prices, and that it does not recommend
any cure which goes to the root of the
evil.
There is, however, supple mentary
report which was signed by a m ajority
of the commissioners-ten out of the
sixteen-which report recommends the
only remedy which will stop the fall
of prices, namely, increasing the vol
ume of money by the free coinage OF
silver. This supplementary report is
remarkable for its clear conception OF
the cause of falling prices, its refuta-
ton of the assertions of the goldites
that foreign competition, inventions,
increased acreage, and better and
cheaper means of transportation are
the cause of falling prices, and for its
unanswerable arguments and exam
Piles showing that stable prices of ag-
ricultural products existed in India
prior to 1898, when the coinage in In
dia was suspended. The majority went
deep into the question in all it's as
poets, showing that the depression is
universal in gold standard countries,
and that the only countries which
have not suffered are India and South
America, which are on a silver stand
ard, and Russia and Argentina, which
are on paper basis.
Surprising that a sovereign will ex~
change for twenty rupees where for
merly it exchanged for ten, because
the rupee has fallen from %. to 49,, it
follows that, although the gold price
of wheat may have fallen very largely,
quite possible from 4Os. to 81, the In
diau grower, selling at that price, will
still be getting twenty repees a quar-
tor for his wheat If silver prices have
remained the same in India las the
Commissioners have previously point
ed out that they had abundant evi.
dence to show his twenty rupees will
purchase for him as much and are
worth to him as much as they were
before, and he is thus enabled to take
a gold price for lis wheat which means
disaster to the English farmer, but
which makes no change in his position.
This is precisely what we have been
lhowiug in varit us articles for long