The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-01-04
PROSPERS'
DURING PAST YEAR HAS PRO-
DucED MORE THAN $1,000
100000 IN CROPS.
His Goods Have Brought From For
eisn Lands Oyer Billion Dollars In
Money-ExtractS From the Annual
!, Report Of the Secretary Of Agricui-
ture.

Washington, Dec 28.-The Ameri-
can farmer is more than 81, 600, 000, 900
above and beyond being to blame for
the tight money situation which has
been bothering everybody else. While
business of the United States has been
paralyzed because the banks of New
York have held $1,000, 100000 of the
country's money tied up in marginal
speculative securities, and have de-
clined to release the money until they
could do so without loss, the secre-
tary of agriculture has been preparing
figures to show that during the past
year the farmers of the United States
have brought into the country more
than 81, OOO, 100000 of foreign money.
While the parasitical Spectator has
been paying usurious rates for money
to gamble with in New York, and has
produced nothing, the farmer has done
nothing but produce. In the first
place, the farmer has during the past
year raised $7,412,000,OO0 worth of
farm produce. A large share of this
has been sold, $1,000,0O0,000 worth 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 we're inexor-
ably forced good many people who
are not used to it would have to go
to work for living.
Spectators Scared.
The figures about the farmers cited
are from Secretary of Agriculture
James Wilson's annual report, which
has just been made public. The re-
port has other statements revealing
with equal eloquence the desirability
of the farmer as a citizen, but offering
no arguments in favor of the desira
bility Of the stock gambler. Thus 1t
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, in
Guiding all the expensive terminals
and pay for every particle of property
of whatsoever name owned by these
troads, but nothing is cited to prove
that the original productiveness of q
stock market would or could build q
railroad in a million years.
The total value of all that the farms
Iof the United States produced in 1907
lis 10 per cent more than the value
Iof the total production of 1906, al
though 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, rs per cent in excess Of
that for 1908, and 81 per cent greater
than the total value for 1899. The
total farm exports for the year have
been $1,O55, 100000, or $4,000. 00(
|above the highest previous record.
i Corn Is King.
| Corn is king, according to the secre
tary. 1t is the chief crop of the Unit
led tSates, whether measured in money
|value or in variety of service per
formed The value of the 1907 crop il
l26 per cent greater than the average
flor the past five years. The next best
lcrop, from a financial point of view
is hay, although it may be that the
final estimate will give second place
to cotton, which is coming strong
Cotton raised in 1907 is valued al
$675, 100000, and it is the most valua
BILE cotton crop ever produced in the
country. The wheat crop for the year
lis valued at $500, 1000, 600, which is 5 IL
Iper cent more than the average fol
the last five years.
Other crops have also done we'll in
the way of making the mere specula
tor look like the unnecessary dead
beat on the national band wagon
which he is. Thus the alfalfa crop
amounted to $100,o00,O00. Sugar, mo
lasses and syrup brought in almost as
tmuch more. Oats, $500, 100000 Pc
tatoes, 100000, 000.. Barley, $4,000,
900. Tobacco, SCI 1000, 900, but this
would have been at least 81 zoo. 900, 0O0
liz the tobacco trust were in the bot
ltom of the sea. Flaxseed, $26, 000, 900
IRye, $23,OOO,OO0. Rice, $4,000, 900
Buckwheat, SIC, 1000, 900. Hops. $4,000.
1000. Dairy products, $S00,000,000
Poultry and eggs, $60o,O0o,O00. Ami
mails, live and slaughtered, 1920. 000..