The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-04

Props Boston. How 70 Have Beautiful hanos' iTeS'
the most prevalent means used to meet
this end has been 10 increase the area to
be cared by one man and team, IN this
way reducing the cost.
He shows that the. numbe01f acres Gull
tvated per hand has in the past ten years
been increased about 50 per cent, 50 that,
he says, the earning power Of the indi-
vidUal has increased and he can still
make both ends meet, provided the grow
ing cattle make an increase in value equal
to the market value Of the grain and fod-
der consumed. This Is in curious contra
diction of all modern scientific agricul-
tural teaching and training. viz: that
skilled and progressive farming should
be intensive.
He warns Kansas against the dangers
ofthe future and asserts that the condi-
tons of the present time, especially as 10
the cattle industry are not unlike those
Of 1SS3-S4, when the value Of all cattle, ex-
cept mtlch COWS, was $50 per head, five
years later one-half that figure, and again
in 1898 are $26 per head.
Nor is the showing presented in Mr..
Columns report for Kansas manufacture
ers encouraging The counties Of Leaven-
worth, Shawnee and Douglas, in which
Leavenworth, Topeka and Lawrence are
respectively located, by the local assess
ors' returns each show a decided falling
off in manufacturing. From a cursory
examination conclude that that fact is
also true of the state as a whole.
believe that the general economic his
tory and the present Industrial conditions
Of Kansas and Colorado are fairly rep
resentative Of all the trans-AI Mississippi
country, and perhaps the Pacific states as
well. If So then despite the enormous
undeveloped resources of this great area,
capable of employing and supporting tens
and tens of millions of people, apparently,
we are confronted with the almost appall-
ing fact that not only are we not grow
ing, OF only is our general progress
/ checked, but we are actually retrOgrad-
| Misunderstanding as if we were a part of
/ some decaying section Of the old world.
/ OF course Cripple Creek and Mr.. Stratton
/ are exceptions, as Mormon thrift" and
/ Kansas Economy are palliative exam
pies.
Assuredly, there Is now lacking that IN
/ centive of opportunity which has hereto
fore pushed the star Of empire westward.
( Beyond the natural increase, I question if
! the section this congress represents has
not lost rather than gained numerically
/ since the census ef 1890. Ny personal in
quir,es the past two or three years have
disclosed the significant fact that more
! people haze probably gone TO Old Mexico
from the state of Texas than from any
other in the Union. Outside Of 8 per cent
1 possibly, the income and hence the pur-
! chasing and consuming power Of the peo-
pie OF the mountain states particularly, 7
think has decreased SO per cent at least.
/ The hope of incremetn in this New
West under prevailing conditions there
! fore must he abandoned. Herea fter the
accrations of wealth gained must be eart-
/ ed by n corresponding outlay of capital
and labor. The farms OF Kansas are fair
" worth $500, 100000. But not So per cent
ofthat great sum is Xet represented by
Improvements strictly. The balance Is
/ mainly the fruition Of general government
bounty and the gift of Increment
Never again VIII another Capitol Hill
Of Denver be built upon the homestead of
a living beneficiary, neither can the vol
ume Of the rivers of Colorado be aug
mented for irrigation nor the aridity of
western Kansas be overcome.
The surplus agricultural products Of
Texas and the Missouri valley now seek
the European markets. The present trans
/ p0-tatior rates carn0t be much reduc al
nor thc shipment facilities be materially
imp owed A. any tate, what further may
"o done wiz be fully counterbalanced "
the necessity CT fertilization, 4 factor
-nich should 70 longer he Ignored. In
Creat Britain this expense ranges from
81 tc s. per sore per a1num. And havire
reached tfcse fc1e,9n markets the 10
ducts Of Argentina. Russia, India and s.
IBERIA present competition far more ruth
less than ours which in the past invaded
England, for IT is based upon lower priced
land. virgin soil and cheaper labor. At
Amsterdam in sos I saw this very COM
petition. On my return in a conversation
with Edward Atkinson. an authority on
economics however we may regard his
patriotism, referred to the danger thus
threatening orr American farmer. ooh,
yes. certainly" he said. "the normal price
Of wheat in Chicago ought not 10 exceed
80 or - cents per bushel." n the year
following II touched r. cents.
PERHAPS because my manhood years
have been spsD, in the west have favor
el building home industries and the &C.
velopment Of our natural resources.
Therefore J Rave belonged 10 a party
pledged TO these principles watch 1ra.-
ticalIy exsmplned. I have hoped vou,I
be adhered 70 until IN the not remote Iu-
tyre ho7se market should he provided
for all the products Of the western farm.
If. however. we are TO desert those prin-
ciples, abandon that policy and LEI the
further march o. empire Of this miEr "
Mississippi eu1sre falter and are
q Divert our national resources and en-
erSfes 10 the costly upbuudlnv CT the far
of Orient. then 7 must despair 81 west
ern Civilization ard of tEe perpetu3ty @.
the institutions OF our fathers
7 Aave presented some data relating "a
.he railroads ~ the southwest man
that the e-o-mous extent ari importance
Of these wealth factors sr7l be conp-e-
hvnded. LAi~r t1at although IN character
secondary Interest thay heve suffered
from depressed conditions. stir. trs los
and harm to agriculture and uarusactu-.
i1r. primary interests. hasa been. and ar,
5 unnecessarily greater. Further. :aat .ss
S9tlo2a no capitalization represented hy
common ard preferred stock IS uo- an sn-
vestmant prosper. huc : TIE measure Of
IN anticipated i7c~ement-quste apart
from the idea a. any corresponding fur.
Their direct outlay.
= nv 50 fa- pursued analysis % condition.
in Kansas ard Colorado is designed :,
b show that no additional tucremeat car
be expected in these representative com
monwealths as matters now are. Fg-