La Junta tribune., 1904-09-17

| 1904 :. .5lT. 1918 633
In this table II is significant to note
that the lowest per capita of wheat con-
sumption during the last fourteen years
occurred during tf Democratic period
from 1898 to 1897. and that since the
| first election of William Mckinley and
the Inauguration OF Republican policies.
up to the present time there has been
AN INCREASE OF OVER ONE
THIRD IN PER CAPITA CONSUMP-
TION OF WHEAT
IscrssseA vsise 81 Hsrm La sds-
The farm lands Of the United States
| represent the great portion of its real
capital When crop after crop Is pro-
duced from the soil. the capital still re-
mains practically intact, unless bad
judgment is used in planting crops
the soil IL washed away by foods, or
unless the productive value is otherwise
destroyed through various kinds Of i'm
! providence like the interference with
forest life at the headwafers OF streams.
| The farm lands Of the country are thus
unlimited sources of wealth as compared
with mines and forests the annual in
! come from which represent not real In
come. but instead encroachmeats on real
capital.
How the Ineremeut IL Earsed
The value OF the crops produced dur
| ing n particular season tend to regulate
the value Of the capital (the soilt from
which they are produced. just like the
dividends which different securities
which pay them. Henry George has
spoken of the "unearned increment" that
has arisen from the appreciation In land
values But while the agricultural his
tory of the United States for the last
eight years has shown an enormous
amount of this Increment" Jet TO say
that II has been .'unearned' 10 . rank
injustice to the farmers who have CO.
operated with Providence to produce
the crops on which not only land values.
but the national prosperity il based from
year to year.
There are some people who seem TO
think that II is only by speculation that
wealth Is acquired. There are other
| people who hold that hard industry IL
of the riches of this earth. There are
others who lay stress on smartness. on
economy and on other traits Of long
headedness. But while there are many
different ways BY which individuals of
our country have grown wealthy, yet to
trace out how the United States a. q
nation has grown to be . multi-billion-
aire. we must primarily consider the
record Of yield aud prices ON our crops.
IL IL q popular delusiou that the sizs
Of the crops IL the whole thing ~ re-
| CARDS agricultural prosperity. Provi-
dence and the farmers individual dill
| gencs are responsible for the size Of his
| crops But the financial appraisement
ot this grea, work OF Providence and
himself. which makes up the supply.
Is determined by the market demand"
and this in turn. is affected largely By
national economic policies.
Except for wheat the supply from
this years crops OF the United States
will probably be greater than for last
year. In the aggregate as regards size.
the crops will this year very likely be
the most abundant in our history. unless
the present bumper prospects in corn
should. at the eleventh hour. be reduced
by unlucky visitation OF frost. And in
the aggregate, as regards values. IL looks
as II our crops would this year brins
greater wealth to the United States than
ever before.
| steady GaIns In vaiue.
The following tables show how steady
have been the gains in cash values OF
staple crops. despite fluctuations from
year to year in size Of crops:
CORN.