Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-09-12
Is IOWA Progressing!
Records Examined, With Judge
Wade's Statement on Pros
perity as a Text
REPORT GENERAL PROSPERITY
Comparative Statement of Des Moines
Prices-statstics Given Showing
Value of Iowa Soil Products, An
nual Farm Earnings, Railroad Earn
ings, Condition of Manufacturers.
Special to Times-Republican.

Des Moines, Sept. 12.--Judge Wade,
the only democratic congressman from
Iowa, who by the way, is a candidate
for re-ele ,tion this fall, said In
speech in congress on Thursday, Feb
ruary Is, 1904:
1--WE have heard numerous Won
drous tales of the prosperity which has
been in evidence in this country for
the past few years. Men have spok-
en- in joy and thanksgiving, and have
even opened their eyes in wonder and
establishment at the great growth and
development and at the existence of
prosperous times.
''Now, Mr.. Chairman, I realize that
there has been some prosperity in this
I country. Strange as it may seem,
startling as the fact may be, there has
been some. progress in this country;
but feel about that good deal as
visitor felt about Niagara Falls"
And then the judge went on to tell
3 story about a visitor who answered
the guides question, Don't you see
that magnificent body of water tum-
bling over that mighty precipice ?"
by saying: Il do; but what in the
divil is there to hinder it from tun-
bling over',"
The judge continues: and so I say,
what is there in this country to him
der prosperity? 1t would be mighty
strange if the falls of Niagara We're
going uphill and it would be mighty
strange if this nation of ours, with all
it's wondrous natural advantages with
all it's wondrous people. just in the
morning Of nationhood, just at the
break of national day, it would be
passing strange if we should not make
some progress"
Now, Judge Wade is often inclined
to be facetious and we will assume
that he Intended these remarks to be
so construed. for he certainly is too
shrewd politician to try to belittle
-etne,, prosperity of which his own state
is receiving such large share es-
pecially aus he knew when he made,
this speech that he would be candi-
date for reelection. ~
However, taking his statement as a
text let us examine the records and
see whether or not Iowa has made
some progress"
The Farmers Prosperous.
From the market reports published in.
the local papers of every county Of
Iowa, the average prices for the COM
modities raised by the farmers this
year have been obtained. The figures
for the same date in 1900 We're OBJ
tanned at that time in a similar man
ner, and the figures for 1896 We're de-
rived from the files of the Des Moinas
Register Of that date. A comparison
of those figures indicates that the
prices-oof the products of the farm
have made "some progress"
...s4r Comparison of Local Prices.
Avg. Prices '04. 1900 1895
Wheat 1850 IS so 40
Corn 400 81 81 49,
Oats .27@ 80 10 .14@ 30
Hogs 45O@5.35 @4.65 @3.75l
Cattle 25O@4.35 2.OO@s.95 1.75@3.5O
The report of j. r. Sage, the direc-
tor of the Iowa weather and crop serv-
ice, gives the following figures as the,
value of the total soil products of Iowa
at the December 1st prices, each year
fro,,, COS IN 1Qnd