Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1907-08-07
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. M


featuring In the United States Is $12,.
6S6,265,67S. During the year 1906
there was produced of manufactured
products S14,SO2, 147.OS7.
The same authority gives the In.
formation that the farm values Of the
United States reached the enormous
sum Of $2O,514, O01 1896, and to this,
which is the land value. must be add.
ed $13.114,4 92, O56, which represents
farm improvements. 1t is needless
to give the value of miscellaneous
stocks, ETC., but 1t is suficient to say
that during the years 1905 and 1906
that the annual production Of the
farms of the United States amounted
to IS, 500, 100000. 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, 1t
shows how important is the Amer
lean farmer.
Last year the wealth produced by
American farms was five times grIat-
er than the value of gold and sIIFer
produced in the United States foI7tle
year 1t is estimated that the Bold
produced in the world since thesdis-
coyery of America by COlumbueAup
to the present time is approximately
$11,368, 900, 900. During the same pc.
riod the production of the silver Of
the world was $12,420,00O,00O Thus
1t 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 MOVIES
timated at $4,000, 100000 American
farmers are adding to this wealth at
the rate of between $4,000, 100000 and
1000 100000 yearly. The total wealth
of Great Britain and Ireland is placed
at $60,200,000, 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 $13,000,000,-
900. Every two years the American
kingdom of Italy, and every year
American farms produce wealth suf-
ficient to purchase all OF Belgium.
Outside of the 13 original states
in adding to its possessions expended
87,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 |
year is valued at 1O4 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 its 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 work
Is based nearly all the manufacturing,
and it may be said nearly all the com
merce
While tile farmer Is great wealth
dependent of American laborers, he
has perhaps just reason for complaint
as to compensation received for his
efforts. While the results Of his
abor has given employment to an
army of millions Of workers, the
American farmer has also been sub
ect to the operations of combina-
ions that directly oppose his best in
.erests These are the great trusts
hat control the marketing Of what
he farms produce None will deny
but that distributing agencies are
but when these agencies
become oppressive and make extor-
donate charges for the handling OF
he produce of farms, they become in
situations that are oppressive. But
he American farmer to a great extent
appears to be responsible for the
UP of such combinations. In
his prosperity he has ignored simple
principles recognized in business and
which are important to him. Presi-
lent Mckinley IN one of his addresses
made the statement that to locate the
factory near the farm meals the
greatest economy and the highest
prices for farm produce; In other
words, the factory makes the home
market For years farmers iii the ag-
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 III making possible
The building UP Of mammoth aggreaa-
lions Of capital ID great financial cen
ters, and this capital has been used ia
The furtherance Of combinations that
have made II possible to dictate 10
The farmer what prices he must lake
lor All that he has TO sen. lIel