The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1910-07-21

: cipal farm products in March, 1910
+ and in March, 1896. show in q
i striking manner the farmers condt
ton at the present time as compared
: with his condition in 1885,
e Giving the average price OF corn
e wheat, cotton, oats, rye. barley. hay
! hops, potatoes, aaxseed, cattle, hogs
t butter and eggs in 1896 and 1910
e he finds the price of corn 11S per
| cent higher than in 1896, wheat IS
4 per cent higher. cotton 90 per cent
oats 1872 per cent, rye lit per cent
barley 126 per cent, hay 4slk per
cent. hops $40 per cent, potatoes 73
E per cent, faxseed 142 per cent. cat
tie about SO percent, hogs 70 per
cent. butter 81 per cent, and eggs
1O7 per cent higher now than in
1896, using wholesale prices as a
J basis of comparison.
Then in the following accompanied
by tables, Senator smoot emphasizes
the far greater purchasing power of
farm products today than in 1896 as
follows:
THE real value OF any article is
tits exchange value. The real worth
of farm products is measured by
their value when compared with
the value of articles which the far
mer desires to purchase. No com
piltation OF retail prices for 1910
and 1896 are available, but the re-
tail price of any commodity follows
in a general way, the wholesale
price. Without retail prices 1t is
impossible to measure the exact pur-
chasing power of farm products, but
the proportionate change in purchas-
ing power is practically the same
when wholesale prices are used as
when retail prices are used. Ten
bushels of corn equaled in value 7O'
pounds OF Rio coffee in March, 1910,
and 21lpounds in March, 1896. Ten
bushels of corn equaled in value 1G
gallons of New Orleans molasses in
March, 1910, and gallons in
March, 1896. Ten bushels of corn
equaled in value 1S1 pounds of
sugar in March. 1910, and 80 pounds
in March, 1896. Ten bushels of
corn equaled in value so yards OF of
brown sheeting in March. 1910, and
81 yards in March, 1896. Ten
bushels of corn equaled in value 16
yards of cashmere Atwood dress
goods in March. 1910, and IA yards
in March, 1896. Ten bushels OF
corn equaled in value S5 bushels Of
anthracite stove coal in March,
1910, and % bushels in March.
1896. Ten bushels of corn equaled
in value SO gallons of refined petro-
leum in March. 1910, and 20 gallons
in March, 1896. Ten bushels of corn
equaled in value SS7 pounds of wire
nails in March, 1910, and 95 pounds
in March. 1896. Ten bushels of
corn equaled in value / ,O40 brick in
March, 1910, and 519 in March.
1896. Ten bushels of corn equaled
in value barrels of Portland &C.
ment in March, 1910, and barrel
in March 1896"
A farmer who has a threc-hundred
pound hog this year can buy 316E
pounds OF coffee with it, while in
1896 he could buy only 81 pounds
OF coffee with hog of that weight.
And the comparison holds good all
down the list of staple articles or
merchandise.
In 1896 20 pounds OF dairy puttcrI
purchased only 20 pounds of coffee
today 90 pounds of dairy butter
equal in price 20 pounds Of coffee.
The butter purchasing power is att
the same rate through the list of
staple merchandise.
A case of eggs containing thirty
dozen bought 81 pounds Of coffee
in 1896; row 1T buys 81 pounds OF
coffee.
A ton of timothy hay in 1896
could be exchanged for only s.
pounds of coffee; now one can get
1913 pounds of coffee for ton of
hay.
Farmers sold 20 bushels of pota-
toes in 1896 and could purchase
only 81 pounds of coffee with the
proceeds. Today they can buy 70
pounds of coffee with 90 bushels Of
| potatoes.
Surely, farmers have no Just cont
plant against the economic princi-
piles and policies of the country
which have thus brought them such