The river press., 1904-10-05

In this table it is significant to not.
that the lowest per capita of wheat con.
sumption during the last fourteen years
| occurred during the Democratic period
from 1893 to 1897. and that since the
first election of William Mckinley and
the Inauguration of Republican policies,
up tn the present time there has been
AN INCREASE OF OVER ONE.
THIRD IN PER CAPITA CONSUME
T!ON OF WHEAT.
Increased Value Of Farm Lands.
The farm lands of the United States
represent the great portion of it's real
capital When crop after crop is pro.
duced from the soil, the capital still re-
mains practically intact. unless had
Judgment is used in planting crops
without rotation. or unless the cream OF
the soil is washed away by floods, or
unless the productive value is otherwise
destroyed through various kinds Of i'm
providence like the interference with
| forest life ut the headwatcrs of streams.
The farm lands Of tho country arc thus
unlimited sources Of wealth as compared
with mines and forests the annual in
come from which represent not real in.
capital.
How the Increment Is Earned
The value Of tho crops produced dur.
ing a particular season tend to regulate
the value Of the capital (the soin from
which they are produced. just like the
dividends which different securities
which pay them. Henry George has
spoken Of the 'uncarned 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.' yet to say
! that it has been '',,nearncd is rank
~iujuSticc to the farmers who have 60.
operated with Providence to produce
the crops on which not only land values,
but the national prosperity is based from
year to year
There are some people who seem to
think that it is only by speculation that
wealth is acquired. There are other
reorle who hold that hard industry is
all that is needed for the accumulation
Of the riches Of this earth. There are
others who lay stress on smartness, on
economy and Oh other traits Of long
hcadedness. But while there are many
different ways by which individuals OF
our country have grown wealthy. vet to
trace out how the United States as a
nation has grown to be Il multi-billion.
aire. we must primarily consider the
record Of yield and prices on our crops
1t is 4 popular delusion that the size
of the crops is the whole thing as re-
CARDS agricultural prosperity. Provi
dence and the farmers individual dill.
gence are responsible for the size Of his
crops. hut the financial appraisement
of this great 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 he greater than for last
year. In the aggregate as regards size,
the crops will this year very likely he
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. it looks
as if our crops would this year bring
greater wealth to the United States than
ever before.
Steady Gains in Value.
The following tables show how steady
have been the gains III cash values OF
staple crops. despite fluctuations from
year to year in size of crops:
CORN.
Production Total Value
Tot alS-1l03 cc44 11t HoI t,1p SfN G)1