Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-08-16

markets for farm products shall es-
TEEN this day the best years work
OF my career. II my presence as far
mer in tais rather strange situation
will servt. to enlist the interest and
support OF the farmers Of the west In
the subjects you are going to discuss
am almost glad ] could make the
sacrifice, at no little embarrassment.
We farmers in Iowa grow corn and
oats and forage crops for the feeding
of livestock; other grains are grown,
OF course but these are the staples.
Oats and corn and cattle and hogs are
the principal products Iowa has to sell.
Our markets are in Chicago. Omaha,
Kansas City, Sioux City, st. Joseph.
and ST. Louis, but the price of our
products on our farms is determined
by the Chicago price, less cost Of ship
ment and the Chicago price will de-
pend upon supply and demand; supply
at the farms and demand, first IN this
country hut finally abroad, for In ev-
cry one o.. the twenty years that have
been farming in Iowa and the other
agricultural states Of this country have
raised a surplus OF products above
what was needed for the demand of
this country alone, and as the pro-
es year by year, see no Immediate
prospect of our prices ever becoming
Independent Of the foreign market for
our surplus. Here lies the strategicai
point from which success or defeat to
the farming interests Is determined
each yea. The smaller our crops be-
come under adverse seasons the less do
we feel its influence, but as the for
etgn market is always used its import
ance remains. In years OF short crops
we suffer most from the iaclS-oT soms-
thing to sell, but when our harvests
grow abundant, as is now assured for
the present season, we are compelled,
under present conditions, to suffer
from the lack Of sufficient opportunity
to sell. If we could only reap PROS
perity according to our harvests we
would never complain. We are not
like the manufacturer who can quit
buying material and can shut down his
plant to stop expense when his market
becomes glutted. Our plants are our
farms and our mortgages and they
must be run on full time. IL not at
profit, then at loss. We can't stop
growing things so long as we own our
land or our rents are coming due.
Within the last ten years foreigners
have bcen learning to like our corn.
The demand abroad during the past
five years has been good and we have
felt its beneficial effect in prices.
close around 40 and 81. cents per bushel
at shipping point. In 1895, however,
cOry, hro,,oIf o,lv tS 1,,I,o,. H. ~
gan to he classed as fuel and in 1895
corn at Ia cents was generally consid-
cred cheaper fuel than coal. Below
the accent mark we can always take
care of our surplus at home and feel
that we are getting the best Of the
coal trust. To me 1t mas been matter
of Significance that the abrogation of
our reciprocity treaties with Germany
came in 1894 considering the prices of
corn in 1895 and 1856 and this outlet
for our surplus abroad was not re-
opened until the reciprocity arrange
ment of July, 1900, which favored our
products with admission to German
markets. at a reduced. tariff, greatly
stimula ting our exports and extending
the uses for corn by cheapening its
cost to consumers.
But with the Corn Belt farmer corn
should he condensed into live packages
to be shipped to the best advantage
We must feed 1t to cattle and hogs to
get the most out of it, and the Ameri-
can farmer is therefore concerned most
with the prices of meat products. Hav-
ing obtained SO cent corn he yet needs
a foreign demand for American meats
hoF 6fC ~, ~l>4
It is this necessity for congress to pro-
vide, for an increased market abroad for
our meat products, to copper fasten
those that we now have and capture
those which we can yet have, that is of
the most vital interest to the farmers
of thu, west today. 1t is
this that will determine <twheth-
er or not steers and hogs can be
produce in this country at a profit in
with Argentina and the
whole world.
Our livestock industry is in a deplor-
able condition. For several years past
the production of livestock has been
improbable to the farmer Either the
feeder went broke on the raiser lost
money on the stocker. Our export
pace with production for the reason
that England is about the only foreign
market we have for our meat products
She takes S95 per cent of our exported
fresh teef, SO per cent of our live cat
tie, S4 per cent of our bacon and SO
per cert of our ham, total average of
66 per cent of all kinds of meat pro-
ducts. This trade amounts to s132,000.-
000, but still in a fee market we fur
nish England only Al per cent of the
meat products she imports. suggesting
in itself the competition we have to
meet In the past few years there is
not foreign country except England
In which our trade In meat products
has not declined and the embargo runs
as higa as a tariff duty of $35 on a
steer INTO France and $13 into Ger
MANY If we are to have any compet.