The Dickinson press., 1899-05-13

getting the freight advanced on their
wool, for the conditions under the
Dingley tariff, even If they are not SO
satisfactory as had been hoped.
So naturally profitable is the bust
ness of raising sheep, when conducted
with proper care, that ever during the
depressing times Of free wool, men
who handled their business carefully
and economically made money out OF
their sheep. Not only in almost every
kind of commercial business, but IN
agriculture as we'll, conditions are be-
coming such that profits must be
looked for now out Of what used to b
wasted. And because this is 80. 1t IL
not a safe conclusion that any particn
lar political policy or administration
- responsible absolutely. Policies may
to some extent influence events, but
the whole force Of human life is sweep
ing resistlessly on to the solution OF Its
great problem, and nothing can per-
manently alter its course. The whole
tendency of modern industrialism IL
toward the reduction of cost OF produc.
ton and elimination Of unnecessary
expense in delivering the finished prod
uct to the consumer. Agriculture has
not felt the force of this movement so
early, nor so strongly, as the business
world, but it is beginning to make it
self felt, and the next fifty years will
Gee great changes in present methods.
It Is idle to try to. stem the current.
Our fathers did not do things as we
do. Our children will say the same OF
us.
The %up-to-date farmer Is able to
make things count in his farm busi-
ness in a manner that seems to be inn
possible to his slow-going neighbor.
In the way Of Investigation, hardly
anything can be mentioned which
should be productive of SO much good
to the farm and profit to the farmer as
a small, we'll selected flock Of sheep.
No meat is grown sweeter than good
mutton; no product can be more staple
than wool; sheep always leave the
soil more fertile than they found it,
and, indeed, as has been said, "the
sleeps foot is golden"
It is hardly to be expected that the
price Of wool will ever again perma-
nently reach the high point it has at
times touched. Conditions have radi-
cally changed, and not even protective
tariffs can wholly overcome these. 1t
Il not necessary for the price to reach
former high levels in order for the In
dustry to be fully as profitable. Condi'
tons have brought u focks much
nearer to markets than formerly;
sheep raising can be conducted more
scientifically and with less loss than
formerly. Indeed. the nan who allows
has much more purchasing value than
formerly. Indeed, tn eman who allows
the distant recollection of a certain
price to overcome his perception Of al
the circumstances which bear on mod
ern conditions, will be apt to be a seri
GUS loser thereby.
There are many reasons why, under
the present tariff, prices for wool are
not what was expected. Previous to
the passage Of the act, the world knew
that the existing arrangement was tt
be changed, and for a year or more
and up to the very moment when thu
bill became law, ships Of all nations
loaded to the gunwales, f1ocked to 0ul
shores with both raw wool and finished
goods.
The enormous quantities rushed int
the country, under the impression tina
q large profit was certain. has been TO
several years a depressing factor in thu
market, and is so even yet. In addition
our domestic mills, anticipating an in
creased business where they had tn
home market to themselves, crowde,
on all steam and piled up goods ii
enormous quantities. 1t is unnecessa
~ to state that nearly all these roseat
prospects came to grief.
During years of depression, the pee
pie had learned to wear less clothing
Free wool and the free importation o
foreign shoddy goods, had accustome
them to wear cheap clothing. and
was found that not only had the mai
ket been glutted, but also, the people a
large, while expecting a tremendou
advance in the price Of their WOO
were unwilling to pay even a slight &C
vance on the price Of their clothing
under the stress Of the competition o
the immense stocks of merchandis
brought into the country under FIRE
trade at ruinous prices, as compare