The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-07-25
zoo 600 600 100 COO o00

Horses. ....... 100000, 900 100. COG, 600
Mules. ........ 103, 900, 900 100, 900, 600
Here is gain of another 81, OO0, OOO,-
600, though the increase in numbers
was only normal.
Now let us look at a crop, the pro-
duction of which is governed to large
extent by demand. In 1895 the pro-
duction of cigar leaf tobacco was "a
600, 900 pounds, in 1901 it was 131, A.
$50 pounds and commanded a sub
Stantial increased price. Our cigar out
put in 1901 was 6,475, 53s, All, against
4,237, 1863 in 1896. The increased
demand being due, Of course, to the
prosperous condition of the people. For
cigar smoking is luxury which is
governed by ability to buy both in
quantity and quality.
We have shown the effect of protec-
ton upon certain products not directly
affected by the tariff. But there was
one farm product that was made free by
the Wilson German free trade tariff
and given ample protection by the
Dingley law. For some unknown rea-
son freetraders hate American sheep
and wool and always make our wool a
special object Of attack when tinkering
with the tariff. Well, we had free
wool for three years and during that
time imported s0O,OOO0OO pounds,
about as much as we produce ourselves.
The result was disastrous to our wool
farmers and of no benefit to our manu-
facturers. The sheep of 1893 were
worth 1926. 600, 900; of 1896, $65, 600, 600;
of 1901, 1874, 600, 900. The medium wool
of 1898 was worth "a cents pound; of
1885, 10 cents pound; of $780, 33f
cents pound, and even in 1901, when
the price was at the lowest figures
abroad ever known, it was worth, in
the United States, 81 cents pound. It
must be considered that there has been
great overproduction in the wooden
industry and also that we have not yet
used up all the great quantity of wool
imported during 1867. And yet our
farmers have seen their sheep double
and treble in value, and they have got
profitable prices for their wool.
Thus protection helps the farmer,
both directly and indirectly, and his
condition in 1896 and 1901 showed such
contrast that the American Agri-
culturist," in its issue of October 10,
1901, said:
All history affords no precedent for so
remarkable transformation. 1t is
shown also by the degree to which farm
mortgages have been paid up, and by
the substantial improvements that have
been made in farm buildings and equip
ment, and by the strong upward
tendency to the value of farm lands
especially in the Central and Western
states.
Even billions of dollars can inadequate
ly express the improvement in agri-
cultural values and incomes compared
to the depths of the late depression
And because farmers are in this prosper
Gus condition, and because they are the
industrial outlook is generally salts
factory and encouraging.
Not only have our farmers paid up or
greatly reduced their mortgages and
made vast improvements in their prop
erty, but they are indulging in the good
things Of life which the farmers of
other countries know nothing of. In a
recent weekly review R. G. Dun & Co..
said: THE movement of Injuries to
the West is unprecedented. Pianos,
bicycles, monographs, all kinds of mu-
steal instruments, toys, books, maya
zines, furniture, fine clothing, etc, ETC.,
all find good market in our rural
homes.
Our farmers are now selling about a
billion dollars worth of products abroad,
which is about 10 per cent of their total
production.
For some unaccountaDle reason our
census and agricultural department
statisticians have never given the farmer
credit for his work. The census of 1890
valued our farm products at only 81,
460, 107 454, which is too small by half.
Our farm products today are worth
IS, 0O0 600, 900 or $4,000, 600, 600. Even
the census of 1900 will concede value
of IS, 600, 900, 600. But most statisticians
do not consider that the farmer and his
family consume anything themselves,
while it is fact that the American
farmers family is the most bountiful
liver of any people on earth. Consider
the meat and fowls, the butter eggs,
milk and cheese, the potatoes and other
vegetables, the corn, wheat, rye, and
oats, all the products of the farmer that
go on to his table and into his barn, and
remember there are 1000, 600 who con-
sumo as much as the remaining as, 600,
600 of our people, for the farmers table
does not weigh or measure or count, but
is always filled with enough and to
spare. Consider all this and it will be
seen that the products of agriculture
sold and consumed by the farmers are
near, if not quite, $4,000, 900, 900 in
value.
Protection has not only given the in
creased purchasing power to the masses,
enabling them to consume literally of