The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-03-03
FARMERS AND FARM TROUBLES.

While higher prices agricultural pro-
ducts have relieved somewhat the far
mer of the north and west, the planters
of the south have not been benefited,
for cotton, the great staple has fallen in
price. So the cotton crop Of 1897,
though much larger than that of 1896,
brought much less money. This de-
cline in the price of cotton has been 60
ing on from year to year for about a
quarter of a century. This too has
been the case with northern farm pro.
ducts, only that last year was an excep-
ton. The failure of crops in other
countries was the reason. How it will
be this year time will show.
Scarcity always brings higher prices
and in this case it was boon to our
farmers. Bot then improved prices were
not up to those of ten years ago, and it
will take several years of improved
prices to put our farmers where they
were few years ago. Commissioner
John 7. McDonough, of the New York
State Bureau of Labor Statistics, in his
report to the legislature few days ago,
tells it in the following extract:
The farming industry in our state is
in most deplorable condition, with ex-
ceedingly poor prospects for recovery or
improvement in the immediate future,
Summed up, the correspondence receiv-
Cd hn 70 oh hot
eral rule, no interest has been realized
on farm investments during the years
1894, 1895, 1895; that where there we're
no mortgages requiring interest pay.
ments, farmer was considered almost
miraculously fortunate if his income
from products could be made to pay the
cost of production, and even that de.
gree OF success was only attainable by
stinted allowances for household expen-
ses and by starving the soil; and when
the farmer was hampered by a mort
gage Indebtedness he ran behind and in
Cured the penalty of foreclosure. There
are a variety of causes which have con-
tributed to this situation among which
may be mentioned:
"Low prices for farm products and
high prices for farm labor, Indebted.
ness which entails continual outlay for
interest, whether earned or unearned.
Poor roads which make distant markets
inaccessible. Exorbitant charges of
com omission and middlemen, by whom
the lions share is snatched. High rates
for railway transportation to distant
markets which make the net proceeds,
in most instances, invisable, and add to
costly fertilizers an excessive tax which
places them beyond the reach Of the
average farmer. Competition of western
and southern producers and the cheaper
transportation rates they obtain, by
which farms 900 miles and more inland
are practically nearer to a seaboard mar
ket than the majority Of the farms Of our
own state.
"The most serious feature presented
by our correspondence is the rapid and
unprecedented depreciation in the mar
ket value of farms-Iepresented by the
owners themselves to range from so to
75 per cent during the last half dozen
years. This depreciation has doubtless
been intensified by the unproftableness
Of farm investments and of farming al
an industry"
The foregoing statements can be veri
fed in this region. Farms have de
preciated in value greatly and alarming
ly and the reasons are very we'll giver
the report and these are made uI
from letters received from the farmers
The conditions in the state Of New Yorl
are much the same in Ohio and othe
states.