The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1907-08-03
OUR WEALTH-MAKERS
AMERICAN FARMERS LEADERS
IN ENRICHMENT or NATION.
DOLLARS BY THE BILLIONS
Annual Value Of Farm Products In
the United States Greater Than
the Output Of the Worlds
Mines.

ing studies 20 those who care 10 delye
into economic subjects. According TO
the government reports issued cover
ing the years up TO 1906. the total
amount OF capital invested In manu-.
featuring In the United States is si2.-
6se,265.673. During the year 1905
there was produced OF manufactured
products s14.so2. i47.os7.
The same authority gives the In
formation that the farm values OF the
United States reached the enormous
sum OF s20.5l4 .00l. $50. and TO this.
which is the land value. must be add.
cd s13.114.4s2 .o5e. which represents
farm Improvements. II 10 needless
20 give the value OF miscellaneous
stocks. etc, but II Is SUFFICIENT TO say
that during the years 1905 and 1906
that the annual production OF the
farms OF the United States amounted
20 $4,000, GOO. 900. Il will be seen
from this that while tho value OF
farms and improvements 10 very near
~ three lmos the amount invested In
manufactures. that the production OF
the farms annually In only about one
half Of the value OF the manufactured
products: but when It Is taken into
consideration that the farm supplies
more than 80 per cent OF the articles
that enter into the manufactures. II
shows how important u the Amer
team farmer.
Last year the wealth produced by
American farms was ave times great
or than the value Of gold and silver
produced IN the United States for the
year. II 10 estimated that the gold
produced IN the world sinoo tho dis
covery Of America by Columbus vp
to the present time IL approximately
I'll. 1858, 600, 900. During the same pc
Rod the production OF the silver Of
the world was sl2.420. oo0.0 00 Thus
II can be seen that about every four
years American farms bring wealth
into the world greater than all the
gold and silver that has been pro-
duced since Columbus time. The
wealth OF the United States is now es-
timAted at s112, 900, 600. 900. American
farmers are adding 10 this wealth at
the rate OF between 50 1000, 00O, 900 and
1000. 000, 900 yearly. Tho total wealth
of Great Britain and Ireland IL placed
at s60.2oo. 900. 900. At the present
wealth producing capacity OF the
American farmer, In less than ten
years the wealth he produces would
aggregate more than tho total wealth
OF the great kingdom OF Great Brit
ain and Ireland. The total wealth OF
all OF Italy is estimated at $4,000. 000..
900 Every two years the American
farmers produce enough TO buy the
Kingdom OF Italy, and every year
American farms produce wealth suf.
ncient TO purchase all OF Belgium.
Outside OF the 13 original states
In adding to IT'S possessions expended
sS7.039. 76s. This includes the Louis
lana purchase. the Mexican purchase.
Alaska, the Philippines and all United
States possessions, covering 2,037,61S
square miles OF territory The corn
corp OF the American farmers each
year is valued at iO4 times the amount
that was necessary for the United
States 10 pay for oil its great posses
vions. The cotton crop alone for 1906
was seven times enough TO reimburse
the United States for It's expenditures
on account OF the requirement OF the
vast territories purchased. II Is need.
less 10 further make comparisons, the
American farmer is the great wealth
producer OF the union Upon his work
Is based nearly all the manufacturing,
and II may be said nearly all the com.
merco.
While the farmer is great wealth
producer and is one OF the most In.
dependent OF American laborers. he
has perhaps Just reason for complaint
as 10 compensation received for his
Efforts While the results OF his
labor has given employment TO an
army OF millions or workers, the
American farmer has also been sub.
iect to the operations OF combina.
lions that directly oppose his best in.
terests. These are the great trusts
that control the marketing OF what
the farms produce. None will deny
but that distributing agencies are
necessary. but when these agencies
become oppresslys and make extor.
Tomato charges for the handling OF
the produce Of farms. they become in
stitutions that are oppressive But
the American farmer 20 a great extent
appears TO be responsible for the
building up OF such combinations. In
HIS prosperity he has ignored simple
principles recognized I'm business and
which are important 10 him. Presi.
dent Mckinley in one OF HIS addresses
made the statement that 10 locate the
factory near the farm means the
greatest economy and the highest
prices for farm produce; in other
words. the factory makes the home
market. For years farmers In the az.
ricultural sections OF the United
States have not alone contributed to-
ward the support OF the stock gam.
blers and the managers OF the trusts,
but have assisted in making possible
the building mp OF mammoth agErega.
lions OF capital in great financial cen.
tors. and this capital has been used In
the furthorance OF combinations that
have made Il possible 10 dictate TO
the farmer what prices he must take