The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-01-14
THE FARMERS PROSPERING.

Mr.. James Wilson, Secretary of Ag-
riculture, was recently asked by the
Washington correspondent of the Bos-
ton Herald for his views as to the sus-
tanning power of the American farmer
in the face of great business depression
caused by the depreciation of securities
in Wall street.
$40 one familiar with the situation"
replied MIR. Wilson, 'it must appear
that there will be no panic in this coun-
try now, SO long as the farmer of the
United States is able to produce good
! and salable crops. The American far
mer sustains the country and feeds
great portion of the world. He is viz
tually independent of any other class
LET ne premise by giving few fig
ures from my annual report, just issu-
ed. From 1880 to 1890 the average of
exports of farm products was more
than S703,000,000. In 1901 they We're
| 1862, 000,000 In 1908 the surplus, which
we did not need i'll this country and was
sold abroad, amounted to 1878, 100000.
st was the farmer who kept the bal
ance of trade with the United States.
Excluding the products of the farm,
there was during the period from 1890
to 1902 an annual adverse balance of
trade amounting to 500, 100000. Includ-
ing the farm products, this balance is
wiped out, and we had left S275, 600, 900
to the credit of this country. During
1908 there was an unfavorable balance
of trade in exports and imports other
than those of the farm, which amount
ed to $4,000, 600, but when the farmers
part Of the international commerce is
included the balance in our favor is
just about 1857 900, 900. Here you have
the tremendous reserve sustaining pow
er of the farmers of this country. They
are the people who pay the foreign
bondholders.
q will tell you that the farmers are
independent of the banks, the money
lenders or anybody else. They are pros
porous. In the East everybody can see
it for himself. They are getting good
prices for their grain, hay, milk, butter
cheese, fruits and other produce Think
of the prices for eggs and poultry!
/ Then they have the advantage over
their western brethren in not having
the long haul and heavy freight rates"
Mr., Wilson said further that the farm
ers OF the West were never in such
easy circumstances: that on the Pacific
coast the story Is the same, and that
the South is rapidly becoming as pros
porous as those other sections of the
country which escaped the devastations
of civil war. When asked, as one ac
quainted with farmer conditions, as to
the prediction of hard times for next
year Mr. Wilson replied:
There can be no hard times, such as
Wall street predicts, so long as the
crops do not fail. The American farm
er is an optimist. In the West the |
banks are bursting with farmers mon
ey. The farmer has luxuries such as !
one would not have dreamed of seeing
IN farmhouse 20 years ago. The farm
er often has telephone in his house.
His daughter has a piano, and goes. to
boarding school. The children have
bicycles.
Il am told that there is between
$500, 100000 and $500, 0o0, 900 of farmers
money in New York banks or On loan.
From Iowa alone somewhere in the
neighborhood of $eo,O0oOoO has been
sent to Canada to purchase grazing and
farming lands. The western farmer is
looking for good investments.