Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-06-28
Congressman DolIiver Makes Some
Interesting Statements.

Iowa is brimful of prosperity this
year," said Hon. j. p. Dolliver, mem
Der of congress of the Tenth district of
that state. "The factories out there
have been running as they never ran
before, receipts for farm crops have
been larger during the last season than
in any previous season in the history of
the state. Money is abundant, debts
are being paid off, interest is lower,
labor is well employed, wages are
better and no man need look for job
unless he wants to take vacation.
In the last FIVE years." continued
Mr.. Dolliver, there has been an in
crease of $4,000 bank depositors in our
state alone, and the total amount of
the bank deposits has increased by
$35, 100000 That the money has been
distributed more among the farmers
and wage earners than among the bus
mess men, is shown by the fact that
both in the savings bank and the
smaller state banks the deposits have
doubled, while in the national banks
the increase has been about rs per
cent. Every man or woman in Iowa,
who has savings bank account, has
an average of $3.50 to his or her credit.
Taking the whole population of the
state at $4,000 there is $34 for each
one of us on deposite in our banks, so
you see we have $500 more cash in
onr banks than the per capita of gov
eminent circulation for the whole
country.
What has brought about this pros
perity? Why, the busy factories have
created better demand for the farm
produce. You know that it is the home
market that is the best for the Ameri-
can producer, and when people are
steadily at work they have money to
spend, with which to buy what the
farmer grows. The more factories we
can get out west, the better it will be
for our farmers. Since the last demo-
cratic administration has become a
matter of history, the value of the
live stock on Iowa's farms has increas-
ed by $45, 200, 900, that is to say in FIVE
years, being now worth, according to
the department of agriculture figures,
S16S, 900, 900 as compared with total
valuation of $125, 900, 900 at the begin
ming of 1895.
Talking about factories. You rem
ember how the free traders ridiculed
the idea of making pearl buttons in
the United States. A duty was first
put on pearl buttons by the Mckinley
tariff in 1890. OF course the Wilson
bill cut this down, and checked the
growth of the business But the Din
gley tariff of 1897 again made another
effort to build up another American
industry. Now what was the result :?
There are now upwards of forty pearl
button factories in Iowa. Shells from
which they are made are procured from
the river beds. There are nearly fif-
teen hundred people employed in the
factories alone, besides the hundreds
of fishermen occupied in getting mussel
shells, and the people employed in
making the machinery for the factories.
Indirectly, the merchants, draymen,
transportation companies, as we'll as
the farmers are benefited by this one
little industry, which has been as sue
cessful in its way as the greater Ameri-
can tin plate industry which was also
inaugurated by the Mckinley tariff of
1891.
Another instance, and / may say, a
cause of prosperity in Iowa. continued
Mr. Dolliver, lis found in the railroads
A large number of railroad men live in
our state, and when you consider that
the companies are now employing over
100, 900 more men than they did in 1895.
and are paying out fully $50, 900, 900 a
yearmore in wages, you will see what an
important factor railroad prosperity is
to the country and prosperity is to the
railroads. The roads made good money
last year, but this has not been at the
expense Of the farmers, because freight
rates are lower now than they were
five years ago. am within the mark
when i say that there were over 200,-
600, 900 tons more freight carried by
rail last year than in 1885,
Stock in western railroads is grad.
ually being acquired by the employees
of the company. Take the case of the
Illinois Central which runs through
Iowa. There are now about 1000 Of
its employees who hold considerably