Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-07-28
FARMERs AND THE TARIFF.

FARMERS AND THE TARIFF.
While the prices of practically all
commodities have shown some adj
vance during the pas. few years, the
products of the farm show much
greater advance than do the prices or
the products of mines and factiries.
Farm land itself has advanced In
value rapidly and everything pro-
duced on the farm has also advanced
materially. The financial condition
of the grain raiser Of the Northwest,
the general farmer of the Middle, the
cotton planter of the South, is better
than ever before. Instead Of having
to market the grain as soon as mar
vested and the cotton as soon as
picked, the producer is now In a posl1
ton to hold his crop and market 1t to
the best possible advantage. Finan-
cially the farmer has become inde-
pendent. The rural free delivery and
the telephone have placed him in
touch with the world, and he Is as
familiar with current events as Is the
city iweller.
The average prices Of the principal
farm products in March, 1910, and In
March 1898, show in striking man
ner the farmers condition at the
present time as compared with his
condition in 1896. All prices used In
the following tables are taken from
Bulletin No. 80 and Bulletin No. 81
of the United State Bureau OF Labor
The Price Practically Doubled.
Corn advanced 1884 per cent.
Cotton advanced 1922 per cent.
Rye advanced 117.1 per cent.
Hay advanced 46,5 per cent.
Flaxseed advanced 142.4 per cent.
Dairy butter advanced 573 percent.
Eggs advanced 1918 per cent.
Potatoes advanced 1877 per cent.
Wheat advanced 1871 per cent.
Oats advanced 1922 per cent.
Barley advanced 1868 per cent.
Hops advanced $40 per cent.
Fat cattle advanced 92.7 per cent.
Fat Hogs advanced 172 per cent.
Purchasing Values Of Farm Products.
The real value of any article is its
exchange value. The real worth OF
farm products is measured by their
value when compared with the value
of articles which the farmer desires
to purchase. No compilation of re-
tail prices for 1910 and 1896 are
available, but the retail price of any
commodityfollows in general way,
the wholesale price. Without retail
prices 1t is impossible to measure the
exact purchasing power of farm prod
lcts, but the proporationate change
n purchasing power is practically 1
he same when wholesale prices are
lsed as when retail prices are used. {
Ten bushels of corn equalled in value {
10 pounds of Rio coffee in March,
1910, and 81 pounds in March, 1895. {
Fen bushels of corn equaled In value
Is gallons of New Orleans malosses
n March 1910, and gallons in
March 1896. Ten bushels of corn
qualed in value 1871 pounds Of sugar
n March 1910, and SO pounds in
larch, 1896. Ten bushels Of corn :,
qualed In value 16 yards Of cash !,
neer Atwood dress goods in March
90, and IA yards in March 1896. :
ZEN bushels of corn equaled in value
s bushels of anthracite stave coal in :,
March 1910, and 20 bushels in
Iarch 1895. Ten bushels Of corn
qualed in value SO gallons of refln- :,
d petroleum in March 1910, and % =
,allons in March, 1896. Ten bushels 6
t corn equaled in value 337 pounds
4 wire nails in March, 1910 and "
10 in March, 1896. Ten bushels of a
orn equaled in value 1,04O brick in 7
larch, 1910, and 519 in March 1896. a.
'en bushels of corn equaled in value n
barrels of Portland cement in u
iarch 1910, and 1 barrel in March q
500. 1,
A nnnn nnnnRcnnArmA mINrrn q