The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-10
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swered my questions between jobs. AS he
did so l was surprised al his versatility. He
Is like Napoleon, in that he do four
things at a time and do them all well. His
mind seemed 10 jump at a seconds notice
from the pasture lands of Dan to the grain
fields OF Beersheba and when il landed it
was all there. Now the question was the
appointment of a man to investigate crop
conditions in the Philippines. now the ar
rangement of the new agricultural building
TO be put up at cost of several million
dollars. and now the importation of bug
10 wipe out the San Jose scale and make
our otchardists rich At the same time
great punches of letters were brought In
and the secretary read each one as he
signed it,
I started out with:
.sNIr Secretary YOU work as though you
had your coat off: you claim to be the
representative of the man with his coat
OFF; / want TO know what you think OF
chat man in his relation to our big COM
binatfons of capital?"
1.-THE only man with his coat off whom
/ know is the farmer" replied Secretary
Wilson with the ordinary- laborer L
have nothing TO do. The farmer is big
enough proposition for here. We are
working for him, and although we look
over the fence now and then at the strug-
gIes of labor and capital we keep on our
way saying nothing as to anything else,
but steadily saving wood
But, Mr. Secretary. adapt my questions
TO the farmers. What do they think of
the gigantic trusts which. like Jonah's
gourd. have sprung up in a night?'
They are anxious about them" replied
the secretary, "but II is from an invest
ment standpoint. They want to know
whether they have a substantial basis. how
they are operated. what business they are
doing and whether they will keep on pay
ing dividends. The farmers are interested
in the new Department of Commerce and
Labor and especially in its Bureau of Cor
pOrations. If that bureau can give them as
satisfactory information about the trusts
as the treasury does about our national
banks there will be no difficulty in their
getting a fair share of the farmers
money"
OUR FARMER CAPITALISTS.
But, Mr.. secretary. l thought the farmer
posed a poor man. He is chronic
wilmer. a constant complainer. and he al
ways makes poor mouth2"
THAT may have been so some years ago."
now. You can't whine on full stomach,
full barns and a full pocketbook. That is
the condition of the farmer to-day. He is
growing rich He has become a creditor in
stead of a debtor. lie is a capitalist hunt
ing places to invest his surplus. He has
had good crops and good prices. and to-day
his deposits are rolling in like a golden
tidal wave. flooding the Western banks
fhon han
The local banks are sending their millions
TO the East, and New York is taking what
they cannot lend out in the West. The
farmers. not satisfied with American in
vestments. are sending millions into Can
ada to buy lands there. and still they have
money left. Indeed, what they want most
is safe place to put their surplus where
it will bring them fair rate of interest"
What do you mean by fair rate, Mr..
secretary" 1 asked
20, about per cent" replied Mr.. Will
THAT is the best you can expect of
money now
why don't they take up their mort
cages" said 1. mot long ago it was said
that the whole United States west of the
Missouri practically owned by the
savings banks of New England"
THAT is not so now replied Secretary
Wilson. Those mortgages have been paid
long ago. and vast sums have been spent
In improving the farms. There are mort
cages still. 1t IS true, but they have been
given by the sons of the farmers, who are
now buying farms of their own"
DO you consider farm lands n good in
vestment, Mr.. Secretary?
Il do at the present prices. was the re-
ply. Investments differ according to local
tiles, but any farm that will now produce
enough 10 carry itself. that is, TO pay its
taxes and low rate of interest. is a good
purchase. Our public lands have been
largely taken up. We are rapidly increas-
ing in population, and the domestic market
steadily grows We are now the greatest
manufacturing Nation of the globe, and the
domestic market OF the future is beyond
conception. As to the foreign market, il
Will always take what cannot use our
selves. We are farming better every
more profitable time goes on. We have
some OF the best food lands ON the globe.
ana are just beginning TO appreciate what
they Will produce"
THIRTY-THREE DOLLARS A SECOND
Have you any idea" said Secretary
Wilson as he turned to his desk picked UP
pencil and made some figures on a slip
OF paper Have you any idea of the money
Uncle Sans farmer capitalists bring into
this country every year? The steel trust.
the shipbuilding trust and all the other
with it, L don't mean what our farmers
sell at home. but what they sell abroad.
The amount is so enormous you cannot
comprehend it,
''In the decade ending 1900 n wac more
tnan S1.WoOW.OOo, or on an average rnore
than $00.cto.0co- a year. In 1901 orr farm
exports amounted TO more than $500 600 an
or almost 100000 for every working IA y
OF the year. That means $l25.OG0 an hour
SzVO minute or $50 per second. Everv
time the watch licked on every one of the
Gays throughout that working year Sg3
worth OF our goods were dropped into TIE
lap OF Europe and three so gold pleces
started on their way back TO the United
States.
That was in 1901" Secretary Wilson
continued Last year our exports were
almost as large, and so IL is going on year
after year You may talk about your great
combinations OF capital. your gigantic mo-
nopolies and enormous trusts bat after
al, Uncle sans most profitable asset is
the American farmer"
Give me some of the items of this bust
ness OF the farmers trust. Mr.. Secretary. -
said I.
The farmers are not trust" said Sec
retary Wilson. and TO give all the details
OF their enormous business would require
TOO much space. Still / can give you some
OF the items. Take cotton, for instance
We got high prices for that last. wear O,,r
exports amounted TO about i2.Oc0 600 pounds
DAY. not including Sundays and our re-
ceipts were about 100000 a dav or a
gross amount of $3l1 0o0.O00 per wear This