Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-08-13

forest-the teemIng millions OF his
neighbors have robbed him of them. To
day he stands alone, striving with IT,
tanic courage to endure the strain; yet
seemingly doomed, in spite of his vast
numbers, to sink under his toll, unless
the help he needs be given.
In his statement Secretary Wilson
declares:
The productiveness of the United
States along agricultural lines is not
keeping pace with the growth of our
population. Meats are dear because
meat-bearing animals are falling be-
hind the population in relativenumbers.
Labor is scarce on the farm, and labor
is dear on the farm, because the fac
tory, the forest, the mine and the rail-
road are taking away the farmers
workers through wages fixed at rates
the farmer can not afford to pay. The
population of the United States is grow
ing both by reason of the natural in
crease of the families domiciled in
America and by accretions through i'm
migration from abroad. But the immi-
grants do not reach to the farm. The
farmers who do come to US from for
eign countries do not find their way to
the farms of this country; and the i'm
migration laws prevent American farm
ers from going to foreign countries and
selecting there the prospective immi-
grants whose services could aid them.
At no period of our history has the
American farmer needed help so much
as he needs it this year. There are
said to be hundreds of thousands of
idle men in the United States. All of
them could secure employment on the
farms-employment affording food,
shelter and living wages There are
consequences awaiting u.s. The result
of all. this will be the bringing about
Of European conditions. Many of our
working people to-day can not pay the
prices current for meats. If we do not
desire to have this condition of affairs
go to greater extremes, steps should be
taken to help the farmers secure a
portion of the immigration that pours
in upon our shores. Whatever may be
the temporary effect of high prices for
foodstuffs upon the prosperity of the
farmer. the deprivations of one class of
our population is the misfortune of all.
High prices for meats and grains are
not beneficial to the farmers of the
country, if the farmers can not employ
the holm that iS rQCI11iSita
growth of grains and the production of
meats. And that is the case now with
the farmers in a great many States of
the Union. The United States has made
remarkable growth as a manufacturing
nation because material is cheaper and
better here than in any other country
of the world. Our farmers are making
the most energetic efforts to produce.
They have the best machinery the world
of agriculture knows. They themselves
work and their families work. But the
demand is greater than they can sup
ply"
The world has it's "granaries" and its
cattle plains; but the United States is
AIOb u l'etI L VI lHdJ w Ollu. us
and its plains are its own; when they
fail, there are no others to which to
turn. This farmer giant last year was
worth to the nation $5o,000,0O0 during
every day of the crop growing season
In the single year he produced mate
rial amounting in value to S7,412 0OO.-
GOO 1t meant that he had saved the
country from disaster far more grave
than the embarrassments of the fall
and winter managed to produce. The
balance of trade in farm products for
last year was S444, 100000 in favor of
this country-which meant that nearly
half billion dollars in cash was added
to the riches of the nation. In all other
products, the trade of 1907 produced a
balance in our favor of only S2.50000O.
Practically unaided last year, the farm
er giant fed the United States and sent
abroad products that brought home ST.
100000.