Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-10-06
PRICES OF PRODUCTS.
PROSPERITY HAS NOT REACHED
THE FARMER.
Tho Plain Proof OF the Disagrceah!s
Fact Is TabulatiOn OF Prices OF
Farm Products for Fifteen Years -
Tho Gold Standard Ruins PRICED.

While the trusts are raising the
prices of ever! thing the farmer buys he
Is compelled to sell his products at
lower price than ever before. What
ever relief farmers have teit from the
burden OF hard times has been due to
better crops In some sections, and 2ot
to better prices, as the facts prove.
Prices of farm products are still tend
ing downward under the necessities oil
the gold standard situation. A tabula-
ton of prices such as any one can
make, and such as was recently pub
lished by the Springfield Leader Demo-
crat, proves the truth of this statement.
To get the prices, files Of daily pa
pers were searched, and the nrst OIL
July of each year was taken. In cniy
two or three cases did the dates vary
three days from the first OF July. ana
all were close to that date. Chicago
was selected as the market for COM
parsons, because it is recognized as
the leading market for all these prod
ucts and was less likely to he affected
by local causes than any other city.
The prices therefore range higher by
from 10 to 20 per cent over actual
prices paid to farmers. Four of the
leading farm products were taken for
the comparison, and 1t covers period
of'sixteen years. The prices 'qloted on
wheat and corn are the closing cash
prices of the day. while on hogs and
cattle the prices given are the highest
prices paid during the day. 1t may be
added here that wheat has fallen over
4 and corn cents per bushel since the
first OF the present month, when the
quotations ar, taken.
In the following we give the prices
of wheat, corn, hogs and cattle for
about the first Of July of each
year since and including 1854. and the
table Is both interesting and instruc-
tive. Below are the figures by years:
18S4-Wheat. 9Sc; corn, 62Ec; hogs.
$3.50; cattle, $6.75.
1SS5-Wheat. SIC; corn, 47kc; hogs,
$425; cattle. $500.
Wheat, 75Ac; corn, Soc; hogs,
$500; cattle. $3.50. q
1SS7-Wheat. 69kc; corn. 36%c;
hogs. $3.50; csG!le, $500.
1SSS-Wheat. 19Ac; corn, 457sc;
hogs, $685.; cattle, $3.50
1SS9-Wheat, sic; corn, 35Bc; hogs,
$455; cattle, $425.
1S9O-Wheat, 79Ac; corn, zoe; hogs.
s4.25; cattle, $500.
1891 Wheat, 921sc; corn, 55Ac;
hogs, $3.50; cattle, 500.
1S92-Wheat, 7SAc; corn,56%c: hogs,
$5.75; cattle, s5.15.
1S93-Wheat SEC; corn, SShc; hogs,
$50; cattle. $5.45.
1S94-Wheat, 5Sc; corn, 41Ac; hogs,
$685. cattle, $3.50.
1895-Wheat, 69Ac; corn, 45Ac;
hogs, $500; cattle, $500.
1SsS-Wheat, 54Nc; corn. 26Ac;
hogs. $355: cattle, S4.G0.
1s97-Wheat, 6S%c; corn, 25%c;
hogs. So so; cattle. Sells.
Wheat. 761sc; corn, S2Bc;
hogs, 1885; cattle. $3.50,
lS99-Wheat, lac; corn, 34Ac; hogs,
| s4.0a: cattle, $5.15.
OF course, during every year In ques-
ion prices had been both higher and
lower, but one date is sufficient to show
The trend of the markets.
In 1884, when the dates begin, the
old standard had been in force for
leyen years, 50 that the highest prices
re not shown, but enough is shown to
rove that the republican papers are
imply lying when they say prices OF
arm products are higher than Tor
many years. An analysis OF these fg-