The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-12-25


area is conceI7sd. The moral Of the
article. however. will be readily seen
by the farmer wherever he may be
found
In the onward march OF events It
so happens that farmers prefer wire
to wood fol- fencing their land. In
the state OF Indiana there are in round
numbers say 100000 farms, and it is
estimated that the average farm CON
tains so acres and that about one
sixth OF these farms, say $4,000, are
fenced with wire There are numerous
reasons urged by farmers for prefer
ring wire to wood for fencing. The
forests of Indiana in a large measure
have disappeared, and timber suitable
for rails has become scarce and costly
and is too valuable for fencing; It is
worth more to the farmers for lumber
than it is for fencing material; be-
sides wire. even If wood were plenti-
full, is more durable than wood AS
a result wire has become universally
popular for fencing. This fact ac-
counts for the existence of the wire
trust, an aggregation Of capital Of
about s100,000,000. 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, II, 10 and 16.
mr. ha IS To4
10 show to what extent the wire trust
is beneficiary Of the Dingley pro-
tective tari1. it is worth while to ap-
proximate the amount of wire re-
CURED to fence farm Of 80 acres. and
the cost prior and subject to the OPP
erations of the trust The outside
fencing of an 50 acre farm would re-
quire Gao rods Of fence, and it is es-
timated by those who know that the
inside fencing equal to four lines
across the farm would require as much
more-tot2l 1.28O rods.
Wire fence of superior quality,
four feet high, is manufactured, con
tsining 10 pounds Of wire to the rod;
hence. 1880 reds OF fence would re-.
Quire 1880 pounds Of wire. Before
the trust advanced prices this wire
was sold to manufacturers of fencing
at S1.G5 per 100 pounds, costing S211.20
to properly fence an eighty acre farm.
The trust, taking advantage of the
necessities of farmers, advanced the
price Of wire to $685. per 100 pounds
an advance Of $3.50 per 100 pounds.
As result, manufacturers of wire
fence, instead Of being able to supply
the required wire for an so acre farm
for $21l2O. are required to advance
the price to s5O460-a difference of
S29340, which the farmer has to pay
or go without wire fencing.
Going back to the estimate that one
sixth of the farms Of Indiana-33, 900,
the average being 50 acres-are under
wire fence. each requiring 1880
pounds of wire fencing-it is seen that
up to date 424 100000 pounds OF wire
have been required to meet the de-
mands of the Indiana farmers. IL
this wire had been sold at s1.65 per
100 pounds, it would have cost the In
diana farmers $1,000 800. If, however,
the wire had cost $685. per 100 pounds,
the place to which the trust has forced
prices, then, in that case, the Indiana
farmers would have paid s16,663, 500
"a difference of S9.661, 600
What is in store for Indiana farmers
provided the wire trust continues its
plundering policy? There are, accord
ing to the estimate made. 10000 80
acre farms in Indiana, which under
favorable conditions would have wire
fences.
1t has been shown that to fully fence
an so acre farm 1880 pounds of wire
are required; hence to fence 10000
such farms would require 2.125, 10000
pounds of wire If this wire could be
furnished at $1.65 per 100 pounds,
which was the price prior to the adj
vance made by the trust, it would
cost the farmers of Indiana the sum
of $35, O75, 200. but under the advance
made by the trust to 1895 per 100
pounds, the cost would be sSS.969. 100
IN increase of $5S.S93. 400.