Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1900-11-08

cattle and sheep, or decreased as IN the
case Of hog products. the prices OF
those articles controlled by trusts have
been arbitrarily advanced beyond all
reason. Among these may be men
toned coal, coal oil, gasoline. all iron
products, especially wire and nails, and
nearly all manufactured articles. This
latter advance has not been accom-
panied by any material increase in the
wages of men employed. so that al
though farmers are compelled to pay
higher prices for these articles, labor
ing men who constitute the chief home
market for farm products are unable
to purchase more or to pay higher
prices. The price of farm products is
therefore maintained by the export de-
mand and must fall when the Indian
famine and European shortage are
over and the world wide war now in
progress shall cease. Even now the
farmer can buy much less with his
products than ever before. What shall
be the case when the extraordinary
Prosperity and the Farmer.
The following is a table OF average
export prices OF the products named
for the four years Of the Cleveland ad-
ministration, as compared with the
three years of the Mckinley admins
tration. It was taken from the statis-
teal abstract of the United States
treasury for 1899, on page 436. and was
issued by the Mckinley administration,
hence cannot be accused of being par
tial in its treatment OF the Cleveland
period.
AS will be seen, it shows that the
prices of agricultural staples were
higher during the Cleveland admins
tration, than they have been on the
average, during the Mckinley admin
istration.
In further explanation, 1t may be
said that there have been famine in In
dia and short crops in Europe, which
have had an influence in holding up ag-
| ricultural prices. The drought in Aus
tralia has had much to do in holding
up the price of sheep and wool, the
focks of that country having been al
most totally annihilated; yet, the
statistical abstract. page BIS, shows
that the total value of our sheep has
fallen from s125,009,264 in 1893, to
$107 ,697 $50 in 1899. The value Of oxen
and other cattle, exclusive OF mich
cows, as shown by the statistical alb
stract, page 37S, has risen from $547,-
SS2 ,204 in 1893, to $637 ,931, 1875 in 1893.
But the value of all farm animals has
fallen during this period 100000, 900,
see page 37S statistical abstract 1900.
the number of meat cattle has de-
creased from 1884, 1876 in 1898, to 81
994 ,225 in 1899. A decrease of 100000
meat cattle has taken place, while the
meat-eating population has increased
100000 during practically the same
period.
The comparative table of agricultural
prices. from statistical abstract 1899,
page 4S6, is as follows:
CORN.
1898 to 1895 cleveland PERIOD .f71&c
Three years of Mckinley .35 1-3c
COTTON.
Four years of Cleveland. .71sc
Three years of Mckinley. -. 6 2-10c
BACON.
Four years of Cleveland. ......s 9-10c
Three years OF Mckinley. .....7 7-10c
LARD.
Four years Of Cleveland. ....8 1-10c
Three years of>McKinley. ..5 5-10c
PORK
Four years of Cleveland. .....7 1-10c
Three years of Mckinley. 5 2-10c
BEEF.
Four years of Cleveland. ...5 6-10c
Three years OF Mckinley. ......5 2-10c
BUTTER.
-Four years of Cleveland. lie
Three years of Mckinley. 10 2-10c
CHEESE.
Four years of Cleveland. .......9 1-1Oc
Three years Of Mckinley. ......8 7-10c
STARCH.
Four years OF Cleveland. Sc
Three years Of Mckinley &c
WHEAT.
Four years of Cleveland. .....67 5-1Oc
s*Three years of Mckinley SIC
OATS.
Four years of Cleveland. ..-........ sic
Three years of Mckinley. .27 S-10c
&*Had it not beer for the Letter cor
ner, which ran wheat up to CSC in
1898, the wheat product would have
shown lower price level during the
Mckinley period than during the Cleve-
land period, in harmony with all of the
other products quoted
CONCLUSION.
These facts and figures taken from
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