Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-10-05
HOW THE FARMERS
CAN MAKE MONEY
J. J. Hill Proves by Census Reports That Farmers
Must Diversity Their Interests and Raise Live
Stock to Compete With Earnings in the Older
States.

w WISCONSIN,, 40
The average value of dairy cows in the
United States, which includes all the
poor stock of Texas and the South, is
S29.6s, while the average value of the
da, y, SOW, COWS of Minnesota is only $3.50.
In Illinois the average value is $34.O2;
IN Iowa 81. 90; in New York, So. 43; in
Indiana, S3l.S4; in Michigan, S3O.65: in
mls gbip SO $So12 in North Dakota, SS2 SO:
IN ONO. S3N.22; in Pennsylvania $50. SO;
IN in South Dakota. $31 in Wisconsin,
S2o.63; in Washington, $3So1, etc. It will
pc seen from these figures that Minne-
sofa holds the lowest rank as to average
value in the entire agricultural column.
and this fact is traceable, of course di-
rectly to the lack of care that has been
exercised in breeding, as reflected in the
aVerage value of Minnesota bulls, which
IS ND, as against such average values
OF SHIT in South Dakota SAG 10 in North
Dakota; S44.29 III Missouri S3S in Illinois
and Indiana. etc.
The The figures show that the Minnesota
farmer gets an average of only $22O5 per
year out OF each COW
NOW. l want you to pay close attention
10 tn1S because it means everything to
you ana 1t means everything to me. who
wishes you we'll
He cited the case of W. A. Brooks of
Freeborn who cleared an average of $50
per cow against the general average Ut
~; ana A l.. Monen of Bancroft. who
1'ao d nerd OF Shorthorns producing an
average Of 765 gallons of milk per COW
per year, or 81 gallons above the highest
xTG l average In the United States.
These results showed what could be ac-
colhpllshed in Minnesota
In the Wheat Counties,
FOR hired labor the wheat counties of
Norlhern Minnesota show an expenditure
~ ?l.l4 Tor each acre of improved land
a aant only % cents in the southern
Iles snow a valuation of only $3.50 per
capita and S2,49 an acre. as against SaS II
per per capita t and S4.4o per acre in the south
III sectlon. Inc wheat growers of the
INtU river valley sold 1.-Two cto 10 IA,
value of $632 per capita. while the farm
ers IN the southern tier realized $27S5
The total dairy products in the wheat
section We're valued at 500, 9S7, or an
average of Soo4 for each inhabitant In
wee s0 %oh sE he dairy
have only 4S5 cows re ag Mnstt Isl lafme rs
o rne sou, southern tier The northern cows
mum. against 41O.6. In value each cow In
Ihe north yielded only 1888, as against
$22.22 in the south
lie said they might wonder why he
urged the raising of wheat when the rail-
road would get so much more tonnage in
riGiIE;n1 II wheat was raised. To this he
f REP sbt od that the railroad would get
Ilesht enough any way, and he wanted
10 10 see the farmers prosper. Besides II
theS continued raising wheat without di-
nef;Sllhlc c they would exhaust the soil
anu, nave only small crops for the rail-
ROAD 10 carry. The prosperity of the rail
road, depended on the prosperity of The
people - 'he
Lower Freight Rates.
l want to call your attention ~ VIII, .
mas peen done in twenty-five years in the
way OF railroad rates on the Great North
ern railway. | want to show you that
greater reductions have been made in the
average rate on the Great Northern than
nave ever been made on any railroad in
me me United States. In 1sS1-or twenty
the the g pean1e agomour average rate, paid by
naullng a ton of freight 100 miles was
So r 90 F &c me year ending June 80 last
~ tt,i was ~ cents and mills less than one
third of what it was twenty-five wears
During that time, if we had made M
Ieoueton, II we had collected the rate of
collected SGT ,O0O,O 900 more than we ID did
collect Think of it! The amount is an
palllng We, would have collected more
i L,i.h tl lf times as much as we did col
lect. The average reduction for twenty
I'VE years is S270OO,000,-and that is fron,
the railroad and warehouse commissions
fe ,p, Ihese figures are correct
me year closing June 30 at the rate If
tsW w. MY years ago would have give us
SsI, 600 more than we collected, e''o 10
During that time we have had our divi-
we have had our dividends regularly and
| nave tried to give you your dividands
L want you to prosper with us. | want
you 10 realize that your prosperity is
with you. pN' We VIII suHer
With your great distance from the uIti-
mate mate markets ma a you would pay the highest
Whomever else it might suit. whomever
else it might benefit, it will never henefit
the people of the West or the Nort,west
a I9u would Won be bearing the burdens Of
Older and more topulous states and Won
would be crushed into the earth. When
any one urges that upon You. ask hin,
me ,ne question sn how ne will discriminate in
your favor. If there was not discrimina.
ton in your favor these prairies woI1d
lose their population.
Railroad Taxes.
Now take our own road We nav abon+
100000 year in taxes. or abont what
we get for hauling 12O0O,OOO bushels OF
wheat That is about what we nav IN
taxes. Ours IS not all profit. remenhar
After we have paid our men. after We
have hay maint tai the road, then the next
s charge is the net, tax :. But that tax is not
il: the State of Minnesota. Every ft,i1
that passes through the state going to q
neighborng or distant state. every tor
country. swells the earnings and helps
to form the sum upon which the ner.
centagee of taxation is based.
Possibly you may feel that Won have
no interest in the raiA Dads business be.
yond the rate that we charge. Now. yor
have, because every dollar of exnense
that we are at comes out OF your poeket
tn
ton of the railroad. If there is a. loss
a wreck, a personal injury, or If we %,
before a jury and those on the jury fee
that they want to be a little geyero,,s
because the railroad has to pay it. theI
simply deceive themselves. You nav Il
We are only the medium through wi,,ct
you pay 1t.
All we want is fair play. We want ius,
the same measure of justice and the same
measure of protection that you want fo,
your property. # we have to pay 81 ,oot
or 5000 or $4,000 more than we oughf
to, it is simply charged up to expense =
we have no other account to charge it to
l. is part of the cost of running the rail
road, and you pay it.
Land Is Good.
have seen the time when the compan,
was glad to get So an acre for the land
Well, they hadn't any business holdins
price; as long as anybody wanted it, bet
ter let them open up farm. But sup
pose that land here is worth $40 or $50
at least will bring $40 or $50, but let m,
say to you that if you will get stock ant
summer fallow and fertilize your LAND
you can get per cent or 5 per cent OF
800 an acre in clear profit from every
acre you cultivate. If that is the case
your land is worth 500 an acre, and 70,
won't have to live very long before 20,
will find people who are willing to pay
you 500 an acre.
| There is no better land in the entir,
West or in the Union for diversified
farming than Minnesota. You can rails,
every animal that is raised with prof
| better butter and more of it, if you know
how and will follow it up and have tn,
right kind of cattle.
And for the reason that desire to he'll,