Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-07-18
OUR WEALTH-MAKERS
AMERICAN FARMERS LEADERS
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.

ing studies to those who care to delve
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 is Sl2,-
$780, 65, 673. During the year 1919
there was produced of manufactured
products $14, S02, 147,OS7.
The same authority gives the In
formation that the farm values OF the
United States reached the enormous
sum of $40, 514, O01, 1886, and to this
which is the land value, must be add
ed $13, ia, 492, 056, which represents
farm improvements. 1t is needless
to give the value of miscellaneous
stocks, etc., but it is sufficient to say
that during the years 1905 and 1906
that the annual production OF the
farms of the United States amounted
to Sc, 500, 900, 900. 1t will be seen
from this that while the value OF
farms and improvements is very near
ly three times the amount invested IN
manufactures, that the production OF
the farms annually is only about one
half of the value of the manufactured
products; but when it is taken into
consideration that the farm supplies
more than so per cent. of the articles
that enter into the manufactures, IL
shows how important is the Amer
lean farmer.
Last year the wealth produced by
American farms was five times great
er than the value of gold and silver
produced in the United States for the
year. 1t is estimated that the gold
produced in the world since the dis
covery of America by Columbus up
to the present time is approximately
$11,36S, 900, 900. During the same pc
riod the production of the silver of
the world was $12, 420, 600, 900. Thus
it 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 SIP, 600, 600, 900. American
farmers are adding to this wealth at
the rate of between 6 5000, 000, 900 and
1000, 900, 900 yearly. The total wealth
of Great Britain and Ireland is placed
at $50, 200, O00, 900. At the present
wealth producing capacity of the
American farmer, in less than ten
years the wealth he produces would
aggregate more than the total wealth
of the great kingdom of Great Brit
ain and ireland. The total wealth of
all of Italy is estimated at $4,000, 00O,-
900. Every two years the American
farmers produce enough to buy the
kingdom of Italy, and every year
American farms produce wealth suf'
icient to purchase all of Belgium.
Outside of the Is original states
in adding to its possessions expended
$S7, O39, 76S. This includes the Louis
lana purchase, the Mexican purchase
Alaska, the Philippines and all United
States possessions, covering 2,037,613
square miles of territory. The corn
corp of the American farmers each
veal is valued at 104 times the amount
that was necessary for the United
States to pay for all its great posses
sions. 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. 1t is need
less to further make comparisons, the
American farmer is the great wealth
producer of the union. Upon his worl
is based nearly all the manufacturing
and it may be said nearly all the com
merce.
While the farmer is a great wealth
producer and is one of the most in
dependent of American laborers, HI
has perhaps just reason for complain
as to compensation received for hi
efforts. While the results of hi
labor has given employment to al
army of millions of workers, tn
American farmer has also been sub
ject to the operations of combina
tions that directly oppose his best in
terests. These are the great trust
that control the marketing of wha
the farms produce. None will den,
+ but that distributing agencies ar
, necessary, but when these agencie
+ become oppressive and make extol
| Tomato charges for the handling c
, the produce of farms, they become il
situations that are oppressive. Blu
the American farmer to a great exten
appears to be responsible for tn
: building up of such combinations. |
his prosperity he has ignored simpl
principles recognized in business an
which r important to him. Pres
dent Mckinley in one Of his addresse
made the statement that to locate th
factory near the farm means tn
greatest economy and the highes
l prices for farm produce; in othe
1 words, the factory makes the HON
market. For years farmers in the al
ricultural sections of the Unite
States have not alone contributed tt
ward the support of the stock gan
g hsers and the managers Of the trust
but have assisted in making possibl
$ the building up Of mammoth aggreg,
p tions Of capital in great financial Gel
e ters, and this capital has been used
n the furtherance Of combinations ths
d have made it possible to dictate I
the farmer what prices he must tax
n for all that he has to sell.
The farmers should understand Thu
money sent from districts to the lar
cities means the c%oncentra
wealth in these cities and gfx