Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-12-11
SOME REMARKABLE STATISTICS.
Enormous Figures Given Out in Secretary
OF Agriculture wilson's Annual Repart.

Ihe American farmer is more than
seven billion dollars above and beyond
being TO blame for the tight money
situation which has been bothering
everybody else.
While the business of the United
States has been checked because the
banks of New York have held bill
lion dollars of the country's money
tied up in marginal speculative
securities, and have declined to re-
lease the money until they could do
so without loss, the secretary of agri-
culture has been preparing figures to
show that during the past year the
farmers Of the United States have
brought into the country more than a
billion dollars of foreign money.
While the parasitical speculator has
been paying usurious rates for money
and has produced nothing, the farmer
has done nothing but produce. In the
first place the farmer has during the
past year raised slap. 000, 900 worth
of farm produce. A large share of
this has been sold. billion dollars
wor h of it abroad, and the money
placed in the banks all over the
country. Then these banks, attracted
by the interest rates in New York,
have sent the money there and it has
been loaned out on securities which
have since so faded in value that if
collection were forced a good many
people who are not used TO it would
have TO go to work for living.
The figures about the farmers cited
are from Secretary Wilson's annual
report. The report has other state
ments revealing with equal eloquence
the desirability of the farmer as a
citizen, but Offering no arguments in
favor of the desirability of the stock
gambler Thus it is shown that eight
such corn crops as that raised in the
United States this year and sold at
the price this one is bringing, would
build every foot of steam railroad in
the country, including all the expen-
sive terminals, and pay for every
particle of property of whatever name
or nature owned by these roads, but
nothing is cited to prove that the
original productiveness of a stock
market would or could build a rail
road in million years.
The total value CT all that the farms
of the United States produced in 1907
is 10 per cent more than the value of
the total production of 1906. although
the crops this year have not been
quite as good as last year. The total
value for 1907 is also II per cent more
than in 1905, 20 per cent above that OF
1904, % per cent in excess of that of
1908 and 81 per cent greater than the
total value for 1899. The total farm
exports for the year have been 81, 055,-
600. 600, or $4,000, 600 above the
highest previous record.
Corn is king, according to the secre-
tary. 1t is the chief crop OF the United
States, whether measured in money
value or in variety of services perfor-
med. The value of the 1907 crop is rs
per cent greater than the average for
the past five years. The next best
crop. from financial point of view,
is hay, although it may be that the
final estimates will give second place
to cotton. which is. coming strong.
Cotton raised in 1907 is valued at
$675 900, 600 and it is the most valu-
able crop ever produced in the
The wheat crop for the year
is valued at $500. 600, 600. which is .
per cent more than the average for
the last five years.
Other crops have also done well in
the way of making the mere specula-
tor look like the unnecessary dead
beat on the national band wagon.
which ne is. Thus the alfalfa crop
amounted to 500. 900. 600. Sugar.
moiasses and syrup brought in almost
as much more; oats, $500, 600. 600;
potat es. $3.50, 900, 600; barley. $ll5.-
600. 600; tobacco. S67. 900, 600, but this
would have been at least 800, coo, 600
if the tobacco trust were in the bot
tom of the sea flaxseed, $26, 600. 600;
rye, S23, 900. 900; rice sl9. 900, 600;
buckwheat. $40, 600, 600; hops. So. 0O0.
600; dairy products. $500. 600, 600;
poultry and eggs, $50. 900, 600; animals
live and slaughtered. l,270, 600, O0O..