The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-09-04
BIC INCREASE TN
FARM VALUES
STATISTICS SHOW THE EFFECT
or PROSPERITY M VALUE OF
COUNTRY kioMEs

WASHINGTON, Sept Mr. Geo
X Holmes The expert on the values
81 farm lands in the a gricultllral De
partment has prepared bulletin on
tile changes IN farm Fa1ues from SOD
10 1906 II show that taking the uni
TED States as q: whole, the average
saIna 81 farm lands has increased
from s2i Leo to s25.11 per acre, and adj
vance Of 33.5 per cent. I'M i've years.
The largest pfoportiohate increases in
Sa1ues. of course have been in the
new states Of the West but every
states shows q greater or less advance
ia asarage acreage values.
Ia West Virginia the average value
per acre advanced from 1881 in 1900
% $3.50 In 1905 an increase Of 20.2
per cent Detailed statistics are CIV
en- Tor classes Of farms on which at
least two-ffths Of the income Is de-
rived. from some specific branch of
farming. The increases In West Vir-
ginIa on farms OF different classes
we're as follows: sugar farms, from
4to 500; hay and grain farms, from
1875 to $3.50; live stock farms from
40 to $21.50; dairy farms, from
SEAS to s29.45; tobacco farms, from
s14 to- s17. s6; fruit farms, from $3.50
10 $s6.4T: vegetable farms. from
40 TO Ss9.70. and general farms,
from Sill 81 to $24.2S.
Mr.. Holmes attributes the general
increase in firm values principally to
two causes-the practical exhaustion
% the cheap government and railroad
lands available for cultivation without
irrigation and the building up of a
larger demand for farm products by
the increase in the population Of in
dustrial communities. The importance
ofsthis latter factor is apparent in the
hish values and great increase in val
ues Of dairy, fruit, and vegetable
farms, as the, success of such farms
must depend very largely upon near
10y markets. 1t will be seen that this
IS simply another way of saying that
anything that helps to build up indus
trial eonmunities and to increase the
spurchasfng power of wageearners en-
ptoyed In Industrial enterprises is of
direct benefit to the farmers of the
country.
The; recent report of the Census
Bureau on manufacturers in West Vir'
ginla in 1905 as compared with 1900
showed that the number of salaried
oticia1s, clerks, etc, engaged in manu-
featuring establishments in the State
Increased from 1914 TO 1882 and that
tiielr annual salaries increased from
Sl.5l9, 900 to $S.S9S, $50, while the num-
her OF @age-earners increased from 3d.
$50 10 4s, 75s and the amount paid in
wages increased from $12,G39,S5G to
21.15S,042. In other words the manu-
Featuring establishments of West viz
gfnia gave employment TO 1876 more
persons In 1905 than in 1900. and their
employees had IS. S92,726 more to spend
In the later year than in the former,
This comparison would be still more
striking Il the number employed and
amount of wages paid could be COM
pared with 1906 when the Democratic
Wilson law was in force and thousands
Ok unemployed were tramping past
smoBeless factory chimneys. AS
very large proportion of the expenit-
lures. of every family goes for food
and another large proportion for CLOTH
ing the raw materials OF which-wool
and cotton-are produced on the farm.
lit is not surprising that farmers are
receiving better prices for their prob
ucts and that farm lands are advanc-
ing in value-all over the United States
under Republican tariff law that
protects the American workmen from
the poorly-pa1d laborer of Europe and
that builds up home market for
farm products in every locality
throughout the United states.
pemocratic politicians and Demo-
cratic newspapers would have the
farmers Of the country believe that
they receive no benefit from the pro-
stective tariff and that the fact that
they are prosperous under Republican
administration and Republican tar
liz laws and not under Democratic is
mere coincidence for which Provf-
denee and not the Republican party
il responsible. This is disproveu by
the above figures. Providence has
blessed the farmers with bountiful
crops, but the fact that they have
been able to sell those crops at good
prices is due to the enactment into
laws of Republican policies and to the
administration Of those laws under
Republican Presidents.
In the Right Place.