The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-06-16
I Nelson Dead

North Dakota today is over-run with calamity
howlers, who are trying to make the farmers dis
contented. Why any farmer should be dissatisfied
with present day conditions, cannot tell, and the
Independent believes that when they stop to con-
slider their conditions, and compare them with those
in the days of cheaper prices they will be mighty
careful that they don't lend hand in doing that
which will cause them to be sorry afterwards. We
refer particularly to the tariff which may not have
been revised to suit everybody. but from . farmers
standpoint. could not be much better. Canada is Z
country with low tariff in practically everything.
J. W. Scott, North Dakota farmer who hss stud
led conditions both IN. the United States and Can
ada, gives few comparisons that should be care
fully considered In the first place the Canadian
farmer gets about 20 cents bushel less for his
wheat than the farmers here do. For 2z5 bushels
of wheat the Canadian farmer can buy binder:
For about 1875 bushels Of wheat he can buy double
box, two horse wagon. We can buy better wagon
for IS bushels of wheat. Other farm machinery 10
in about the same proportion. For one buhsel OF
wheat, the Canadian farmer can buy two gallons Of
kerosene While for one bushel we can buy nearly
seven gallons There gallon is about 20 per cent lar
ger than ours. For one bushel of wheat we can buy
over six gallons of gasoline delivered at our farms,
while the Canadian farmer buy less than three
gallons for bushel of wheat, in barrel lots at
his railroad station. Mr.. Scott sent his son, a Sas
katchewan farmer, corduroy, sheep-lined coat for
Christmas which cost him about Is bushels of
wheat The son would have had to exchange
twenty-six bushels of wheat for the same kind
of coat in Saskatchewan. Mr.. Scott went
on to say that the first self binder which ne
bought cost him 400 bushels OF wheat, at
Hudson Wis That was in 1878 Last summer at
Giby, N d. he bought binder, costing him 150
bushels Of wheat or rs bushels OF flax. Had he paid
for the first binder in flax, 1t would have taken
over 800 bushels. Had the first dealer set the two
binders side by side and told Mr. Scott to take
the 1873 binder for nothing the 1909 binder for
s14O he would have chosen the latter. His first
gang plow cost him 40 bushels Of wheat and the
last one 70 bushels. The farmer OF today can buy
great deal more of the commodities at present day
prices than he ever could, and this statement can
be easily proved by comparing prices. Will any
thinking farmer vote to put himself back in the
days of cheap prices? We guess not. Farmers
wives often exchange butter and eggs for g1ngham
One dozen eggs will buy from two to four
wards Of Bingham. In the cheap price days, one
dozen eggs would buy but from onehalf to two
yards of gingham Mr.. Scott made other compar1-
sons but the foregoing, we believe, are enough
to make any farmer stop and think, If he has not
already done So Calamity howers are going about
the state trying to hoodwink the farmers. VI
course we all know what they want is to get ONCE
and not truly benefit the farmers, because IT they
had the interests of the farmers at heart, tney
would not want to change the present conditions
which are good enough for us all.