The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-12-15

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We Americans are supporting
today $4,000, 900 of people in more
comfort. the owners of more homes,
the possessors Of larger opportu-
mites OF every kind TO make life
worth the living, than were thirty
millions at the close of the Civil
War. Statisticisns and political
economists have filled libraries
with the industrial triumphs of
these forty years, but have failed
to note in the main how splendid
ly the farms have first stimulated
and then accompanied every in
dustrial advance. The number of
farms owned in 1870 were 1863,
$50, the number of acres under
cultivation were 1SS, 1921, 099, the
total value of farm products was
81, 95S, 030, 927, the total amount
exported to other countries was
1861 1SS, 4S3, while at the close of
1900 the number of farms owned
was 5, 737 ,372. acres under cultiva-
tion were 414. 49S, 4S7, value of
farm products 80, 764. III, 7O6, and
the amount exported to other
countries in 1908 was 1878, 322, :
So. These results have made
the United States the granary of
the world. The vast agricultural
areas in Russia. in India, in Asia
and Africa might be brought into
successful competition if they had
American farmers with their eager
adoption of modern ideas and up
to-date inventions. But that has
not happened and will not. The
competition is impossible, not only
from racial considerations, but
from governmental depressions
and repreSsions which tt will take
centuries TO change. The first
element of settlement of the land
and then success in working it is
transportation. With every mile
of railroad lOO,0 acres of new
land has been brought into settle
ment or under cultivation. and
frsm 1870 the number of miles of
railway in the United States has
increased from 81. 932 to 274, S35
in 1908. Transportation per ton
per mile has gone down from the
| prohihitive point of p cents per
ton 10 65 hundredths cent. This
last is just one quarter the rates
in England and on the continent
of Europe. and has enabled us
with the Improvement of ocean
navigation and rates TO place our
cereal in Great Britain upon bet,
4 ter terms than our continental
competitors who are the neigh
bors of the market.
TROLLEY A HAPPY ELEMENT.
But on this line of transporta-
ton, there is another most happy
element. and that 10 the trolley.
| came early 10 the belief that
every invention is a blessing. At
! Que time labor was afraid of ma
chInsry, and yet machinery has
increased the productive power OF
labor beyond the limits of cslcu-
lstlon. Before the tremendous
discoveries and inventions and
utilization of power in the last
forty years. without going into
the regular statistics. | should say
I that almost ninety per cent. of
the wage earners of the United
4 States were in the class known ss
uRskilied labor aud were receiving
the wages which belong TO that
condition. But with the duplica-
ton of force by invention. by
steam aud By electricity. vast ma
jority of wage carriers today are
in the skilled srtesian class, aud
are receiving the competence which
is always gained by skill aud
brains as we'll as manual effort.
In the same way the early farm
eFs resisted the introduction Of
machinery Of sll kinds because of
the expense. In the same way
the railroad manager has. aud
many of them still have. SppFe-
beHSion in regard TO the exten sion
OF the trolley. hct my own jadg
ueut is taat. Is in sl other cases.
the trolley becomes. instead Of =
drain = feeder 30 the great eoRtl-
Mental lines IL i the trulley
Which has brought the farm and
the town IN close Communication.
1t gives 70 the farmer and his
family the opportunity. impossible
before. OF frequent visits 70 centres
Of activity aad Of the benefit Of .
( quick and ready market. Is has
added iuneaSarsbly 70 the con
foEt. the happiness aud the brad
eaiRg Of the farmers life. when 20
the trolley has been added the
+ telephone ard : ratification OF
ecaGETy and town has been
hro9gbt aboas. which Is one Of
tie miracles Of the sge,
sEATSKED Is oBSoIETE.
TIE "haySsed- az eariearnre
ssd Of the hnEoxiss writer no