The broad ax., 1900-09-22
THE FARMERS AND THE WIRE
TRUST.

ThOSIs
The figures In the following article
apply to Indiana as far as acreage and
area fs concerned. The moral OF the
article. however, will be readily seen
by the farmer, wherever he may be
found.
In the onward march OF events u
so happens that farmers prefer wire
to wood for fencing their land. In
the state OF Indiana there are in round
numbers say zoe, 900 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; 1t is
worth more to the farmers for lumber
than il is for fencing material; be-
sides wire, even IL 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 via
trust, an aggregation OF capital CT
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, II, Is and l6.
For the purpose of easy calculation
10 show to what extent the wire trust
is a beneficiary Of the Dingley pro-
tective tariff. it is worth while to ap-
proxlmate the amount OF wire re-
quired to fence a farm OF so acres. and
the cost prior and subject to the OPP
erations OF the trust. The outside
fencing OF an so acre farm would re-
quire $40 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-total $50 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 S1.65 per 100 pounds. costing S21l.2O
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 a result, manufacturers Of wire
fence, instead of being able to supply
the required wire for an so acre farm
for $211.20. are required to advance
the price to $504.60-a difference OF
S293.40, which the farmer has to pay
or go without wire fencing.
Going back to the estimate that one
sixth OF the farms OF Indiana-S3. 900.
the average being so acres-are under
wire fence, each requiring 1880
pounds OF wire tepcing-it Is seen that
up to date 424.400.ooO pounds OF wire
have been required TO meet the de-
mands of the Indiana farmers. II
this wire had been sold at s1.65 per
100 pounds, it would have cost the In
diana farmers 1902. 500. II. however,
the wire had cost s3.95 per 100 pounds.
the place to which the trust has forced
prices. then, in that case. the Indians
farmers would have paid SIC, 663 800
"a difference Of 1861 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 80
acre farms in Indiana, which under
favorable conditions would have wire
fences.
II has been shown that to fully fence
an so acre farm 1880 pounds of wire
are required; hence to fence I66, 900
such farms would require 2,I25, 500 900
pounds OF wire II this wire could 10
furnished at s1.65 per 100 pounds,
which was the price prior to the ad-
vance made by the trust, IL would
cost the farmers Of Indiana the sum