Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-07-19
|OUR WEALTH-MAKERS
AMERICAN FARMERS lEADER8
IN ENRICHMENT OF NATION.
DOLLARS BY THE BILLIONS
Annual Value Of Farm Products In
the United States Greater Than
the Output Of the Worlds
Mines.


Into economic subjects. According to
the government reports issued cover
Ing the years up to 1905. the total
amount OF capital invested In manu-
featuring In the United States In Si:.-
6sG.2G5.673. During the year 1905
there was produced Of manufactured
products $it.so?.i%7.0S7.
The same authority gives the In
formation that the farm values OF the
United States reached the enormous
sum OF S:0.5i4 .00i .s3G. and to this.
which Is tho land value. must be add
ed Si3.li&.ts2.05d. which represents
farm improvements. II Is needless
to give the value OF miscellaneous
stocks. etc. but II Is sufiicient TO say
tha, during tho years 1905 and 1906
that the annual production OF the
farms Of the United States amounted
to 81. 500. .000. 900. II will be seen
from this that while the value Of
farms and improvements IL very ncar.
~ three times the amount Invested In
manufactures. that tho production OF
tho farms annually Ii only about one.
half OF the value OF the manufactured
products: but when II is taken into
consideration that the farm supplies
nor. than 30 per cent. Of the articles
iha, enter into the manufactures. II
shows how importan, Is tho Amer.
lean farmer.
Las, year the wealth produced by
American farms was tlyc times great
or than the value Of gold and silver
produced in the uniied States for III.
year. Il 10 estimated tina, tho gold
produced in the world since tho dis
eov.Fy of America by Columbus up
10 the pruscn, time is approximately
tiI. .lss. 900. 600 During the same p-'
nod the production Of the silver OF
the world vas si:.t:o.ooo.ooo. Thus
Il can bc seen that about every four
years American farms bring wealth
ln,o tho world greater than all the
soia and silver that has been fFo'
dae-d since columbas time. Tho
wealth of tho United States IL no~ cs.
tiasa,ri al 1ii:. 200. 900. 900. American
farmers are Aadink To this wealth al
III, rat. Of between q. s.coo. .oeo. 600 and
coo 600. 900 yearly. The total wealth
pi GFca, britain aud ireland 10 placed
n $50 200. 900 600. Al tho psvs-ni
wealth producing earaei,y Of the
American farmer. In l1ss than t1n
ycars tho wealth he produces would
aggregate more than the total wealth
% the great kinEdpm Of Great nstt'
sin and ireland. The total wealth Of
ali OF Italy 10 estimated al iis.ooo. eoc..
600. Every ,~o years the Aua-Eieaa
farmers produce enoash 10 buy the
kinxdom Of Italy. and every yraE
American farm. produce wealth suf'
ocient To purchase all Of belgium
Outside Of the u original states
Ia adding 10 its possessions rxpradcd
81. .o19.sess This includes the Louis
lana purchase. tho Mexican purchase.
Alaska. the Philippines and all taitesi
States possessions. covering s.os'.sis
squafr miles Of territory The corn
corp Of tho American farmers each
year IL valued al ios times the amount
that vas necessary fof the tnIsed
States To pay for all its great posses
sions. The cotton crop alone for 1905
vss seven times enough To reimburse
the United States for its expenditures
ou account OF the aeauiIrmrn, Of the
vast territories purchased. II 10 need
less To further make comparisons. the
American farmer IL the great wealth
producer Of the union. upon his work
Il bssed nearly all the masufacturias-
and u may BE- said nearly all the com
mervp.
While the farmer is a great wealth
producer and is one Of the most In.
dependent Of American Isborrfs. he
A. les
- 10 compensation received for his
efforts. While the results OF his
labor has given cmpioyment 10 an
army Of millions Of workers. the
American farmer has also been sab
iect TO the operations OF comblas-
tons that directly oppose his best in.
tefests. These arc the great trusts
that control the marketing Of what
the farms produce. None viii deny
but that distributing agencies arc
necessary. but when these agencies
become oppressive and make cstor.
,ioua,e charges for the handling OF
the produce OF farms. they become in.
stitutions that are oppressive. but
the American farmer TO a great extent
appears to be responsible for the
building up Of such combinations. In
his prosperity he has ignored simple
principles recognized In business and
which are important to him. Presi.
dent Mckinley In one of his addresses
made the statement that TO locate the
factory near the farm means the
greatest economy and the highest
prices for farm produce: In other
words, tho factory makes the home
market. For years farmers in the as.
ricuiturai sections of the United
States have not alone contributed to-
ward the support Of the stock gam.
elers and the managers Of the trusts.