The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-04-25

Los Angeles, Cal, April Ito The
Forum: / am just in receipt OF let
ter from an old and highly esteemed
friend, now at the head of one Of the
best enterprising newspapers in the
northwest He was formerly a
staunch friend of the farmer, but from
the tone Of his letter, ! fear that he
has fallen from grace. He asks the
following questions, to which / would
like to reply through the columns OF
The Forum:
"You are opposed to reciprocity on
the theory that it would injure the
price Of your land and OF your pro-
duce."
One of the arguments used by Presi-
dent Taft and others for advocating
reciprocity is, that 1t will reduce the
cost of living. In reducing the cost
OF living, 1t must necessarily be by re-
ducing the cost OF farm produce. Let
us suppose that reciprocity and Its at
tendant evils reduces the price of wheat
to so cents per bushel, contingency
to be expected, the cost OF living
thereby would be reduced about three
tourths Of / cent day. The value OF
any property is based on the returns
it produces. With wheat selling at so
cents per bushel, farm land would have
but little value and corn values fol-
low closely the prices Of wheat, as very
few would care to engage In an enter
prise IL everything they buy is pro-
tected bv a high tariff. and all they
have to sell Is open to the competl-
ton of the cheap lands and cheap
labor of the world. You ask:
"What difference does 1t make to
the farmer IL prices OF land are de-
pressed; he keeps on using the land,
and in four or five years conditions
change. so that the value is as much
as before the increase?"
Very few OF us would care to live on
bread and water four or five years,
hoping for change TO normal con-
ditions. Then, many farmers are in
debt and their farms mortgaged, others
desire to sell to change locations and
occupations. This depression in values
for four or five years would drive
many such 20 paupers' graves.
You say, Suppose the price of wheat
went down, due TO this cause, but
after five years, with a changing
population, the value Is restored to the
present basis and there for all time.
would you object voting for reciprocity
on these conditionsw
II the farmers are pauperiEed for
four or five years, what becomes Of
the business Of the country? or late
years the country has been prosperous
because the farmer was prosperous.
Reverse these conditions and what
would be the result? The Canadian
farmer is doubtless expecting that
reciprocity will enable him to get better
prices for his wheat, but In this he is
sadly mistaken. He would only be
furnishing a club TO break his own
head as well as that of the American
farmer. Until the agitation OF recipro-
city. Minneapolis millers paid practi-
caIly as much for No. northern
wheat as 1t was quoted at In Liver
pool. II 50,000.00o bushels Of Canadian
wheat is thrown on our markets. this
wheat with the aid of the bears
would drive prices so low that the
Canadian farmer would soreiy regret
the reciprocity agreement. Recent
kilograms 10 the daily papers stated
that since the agitation of reciprocity,
the price Of wheat had declined 1871
cents per bushel and the bears had
made millions: giving the names OF
some Of the heavy winners. Among
them I recognized the names Of old
time bears" that had been alternating
for q number OF years. During these
long years their claws and teeth have
been growing and they are coming out
az their holes exceedingly hungry from
their long fast. The bull" Is an anil
ma OF prosperity. He enables the mill
lers and elevators TO do a legitimate
business without the risk Of specula-
ton. by enabling them to hedge their