North Park union., 1900-10-05
the FARMERS AND THE WIRE

area II concerned. Tho moral OF tne
article, however. will be readily seen
BY the farmer, wherever he may D
found.
In the onward march OF events II
SO happens that farmers prefer WIZ
to wood for fencing their land. IN
the state Of Indiana there are in round
numbers say 200. 900 farms. and 1t v
estimated that the average farm con-
tains so acres and that about one
sixth of these farms. say Ss.o09. are
fenced with wire. There are numerous
reasons urged by farmers for prefer
ring wire to wood for fencing. Ine
forests of Indiana in large measure
have disappeared. and timber suitable
for rails has become scarce and cosuy
and ID too valuable for fencing: 1t ID
worth more to the farmers for lumoef
than 1t is for fencing material; be-
sides wire. even II wood were plenti-
full. Is more durable than wood. As
a result wire has become universally
popular for fencing. This TACT ac-
counts for the existence Of the wire
trust, an aggregation of capital OF
about 500. 900 900. which has control
Of about 20 corporations engaged IN
the manufacture OF wire suitable for
fencing, exclusive Of barbed wire,
numbered as to size 9. IL. 13 and l6.
For the purpose of easy calcuiatioh
to show to what extent the wire trust
is a beneficiary Of the Dingley pro
tective tariff. 1t is worth while to ap-
proximate the amour: Of wire re-
quired to fence farm Of so acres. and
the cost prior and subject to the op-
erations OF the trust. The OUTSIDE
fencing OF an 80 acre farm would re-
quire $40 rods Of fence, and 1t Is es-
timated by those who know that the
inside fencing equal to four lines
across the farm would require as much
more-total 1880 rods.
Wire fence OF a superior quality,
four feet high, Is manufactured. con-
tanning 10 pounds OF wire to the rod;
hence, 1880 rods OF fence would re-
Quire 1880 pounds Of wire. Before
the trust advanced prices this wire
was sold to manufacturers OF fencing
at 31.S5 per 100 pounds, costing $2l1.2o
to properly fence an eighty acre farm.
The trust, taking advantage Of the
necessities OF farmers, advanced the
price Of wire to 1895 per 100 pounds
an advance OF $3.50 per 100 pounds.
As a result. manufacturers OF wire
fence, instead OF being able to supply
the required wire for an so acre farm
for $2l1.2O, are required to advance
the price to &504.60-a difference OF
$293.40. which the farmer has to pay
or 20 without wire fencing.
Going back to the estimate that one
sixth OF the farms OF Indiana-33, 900.
the average being SO acres-are under
wire fence, each requiring 1880
pounds of wire fenclng-lt is seen that
up to date 424.400,000 pounds of wire
have been required to meet the de-
mands Of the Indiana farmers. II
this wire had been sold at $1.65 per
100 pounds, 1t would have cost the In
diana farmers $7.002, 500. II, however.
the wire had cost 1896 per 100 pounds.
the place to which the trust has forced
prices. then. in that case, the Indiana
farmers would have paid $l6.663, 500
"a difference of 1866, 900.
What is In store for Indiana farmers
provided the wire trust continues Its
plundering policy? There are. accord
ing to the estimate made. 166, 900 so
acre farms in Indiana. which under
favorable conditions would have wire
fences.
II has been shown that to fully fence
an 50 acre farm 1880 pounds OF wire
are required; hence to fence 10000
such farms would require 2.125. 800. 900
pounds Of wire. II this wire could be
furnished at S1.65 per 100 pounds.
which was the price prior to the ad-
vance made by the trust, 1t would
cost the farmers Of Indiana the sum
of S35 5,O75.700. but under the advance
made by the trust to 1895 per 100
pounds, the cost would be $S3.969. 100
an increase Of $685. 400.
The basis OF the calculations is ap-
proximately correct and demonstrates
the purpose OF the trust to rob the
farmers OF Indiana. who choose to
substitute wire for wood in fencing
their farms. The result has been, as
has been stated, to paralyze the wire
fencing industry. Farmers Of Indiana
have decided that they will not pay
the trust Its robber prices. and are dis
cussing the enormous inuity OF the
Republican tariff which fosters such
plundering corporations as the wire
trust. They say that law which en-
ables combination of capital to per-
petrate such colossal robberies of the
farmers as the wire trust has In
flicted upon them ought to be abol-
ished. and since this cannot be ac-
complished while the Republican par
ty il in power. q change in party con-
troll of the government has become an