Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-03
u. s. Consul Attributes German
Hard Times to Neglect of
Agriculture
FARMERS DRIFT TO FACTORIES
In the Last Few Years the Rush Of
Farmers Into the Mills and the
Towns Has Unbalanced the Indus
tria, situation-Thousands of For
tunes Lost.

:,
rible industrial depression is due TO the
change of the whole economic balance
Of the empire, the result being Vas'
decentralization Of many kinds OF mef-
chandise, but an underproducuoh VI
food materials. This change of balance
was caused by the population Wltilii'
fifteen years changing from asrieultur
al tn professional pursuits or some form
of industry or trade. Farmers have
gone to the cities so rapidly tnat loe
enough are left on the farms to produce
enough food to feed the people. Prlces
baya Increased to such an extent that
only the rich are able to pay those oe-
,nanded This information has been
forwarded to the department OF state
nv Consul General Mason at Berlin,
who has written an interesting review
of the conditions existing in Germany
The consul general says:
The period of industrial reaction ana
financial depression in Germany, winch
began during the summer OF lSuu, mas
continued, with varying and OFTEN sud
denly fiuctuating conditions thruout
1901 and down to the present. 1t is true
certain branches of manufacture, nota-
bly, the textile industry, have during the
last eight months shown encouraging
signs of recovery and there were ap-
parent at the close of 1901 various indi-
cations that the worst OF the crisis was
49, ~ nf
however slow it might prove, had been
definitely begun"
In Analysing the underlying causes of
the present depression Consul General
Mason says: mo analysis of the exist
ing situation in Germany can be dis
eliminating or just which does not take
into account certain basic and inherent
conditions which are beyond govern
mental or corporate control, and reach
backward and down to the vital found
atoms of the empire. Germany was in
1871 nation of SO, 119,000 inhabitants,
of whom so per cent were engaged in
agricultural pursuits. In December,
1900, it had grown to an empire of So
$4,000 souls, of whom 35 per cent de-
rived their support from agriculture
and 60 per cent-neaciy thirds
were engaged in professional pursuits
or some form of industry or trade.
This transformation from agricul-
ture to industries and commerce took
place mainly during, the period from
1880 to 1895. During those fifteen years
the Increase of working population was'
lI.S per cent, of which agrieultura
gained only per cent while manufae-
lures, mining and the building trades
We're augmented by 1915 and commerce
by 1873 per cent. 1t was a time when
young men by hundreds of thousands
left their native farms and villages and
Hooked to mines, factories and indus
trial cities and towns.
ne empire was by this time In
cfeaslng IN population at the rate of
nearly 000-more than doubled.
Trade unions multiplied rapidly and
trebled their membership within five
years and strikes increased in number
from 73 in 1892 to 967 in 1899. Wages
IN all departments increased slowly.
put employment was steady, many me-
chanics and operatives worked over
time, the condition of the laboring
classes improved, their wants increas-
ed, and there was a general advance in
respect to their dwellings, food, cloth
ing, and standard of living"
There could be but one SEQUEL to
this condition" says Consul General
Mason. land the inevitable has han |
pened. The enormous transfer of pro-
ductive labor from agriculture to in |
dustries changed the whole economic
balance of the empire, and the result /
was a vast overproduction of many
kinds of merchandise, but an under
production of food materials
Inevitably such conditions entailed
reproduction and the accumulation
u surplus products for which there was
40 adequate and natural market at
home or abroad. This was not noticed
70 long as the general prosperity con-
lnued. There was an abundance Of
money for everything Banks Of high
'epute and vast resources took to finan-
ing industrial enterprises to an extent
lever perhaps seen in any other coun-
ry.
Results of these extraordinary con-,
iltlons are written in the history of the
Wo critical years since May, 1900" says
ar. Mason, when the zenith of pros
'erous activity was passed and the
'eriod of reaction and depression be-
IAN. The losses thru depreciation of
Industrial securities were SO great as
0 radically change the financial status
I hundreds Of thousands Of people"