The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-12-27

With 1889, e1G. 600 Then the farm
ers were loaded with deDis that were
painful burdens: prosperity followed
and grew with unexampIed speed.
Then the farmer VAS a joke OF the
earicaturiat: now he is ike the stone
that WAS rejected By the builders and
has become the headstone OF the cor
nsr.
During the last sixteen years the
farmer has steadily increased hia
wealth production year by year with
the exception OF 1911, when the value
declined from that OF the preceding
year. II the wealth produced on farms
| In 1899 be regarded as 100. the wealth
produced sixteen years ago, or in 1897
! is represented by 81, and the wealth
produced In 1912 by 202.1. During the
interim the farmers wealth nroduc-
ton increased Isl per cent
The array CT figures that express
the farmers contribution to national
wealth production testifies 10 the
farmers basic importance to the ma
ton. During the last sixteen years
the wealth production on farms. &C
lccrding 10 the census items, reached
the grand Total OF more than s165 ,00o.-
100000. This stream OF wealth has
poured out OF the farmers horn OF
plenty and in sixteen years has
equaIed about three-qnarteTs OF the
present national wealth
Al little farther on in The report
Tie Chicago Inter Ocean finds good
news for the city dweller, on whom
the sncreafed cost Of living, which is
mainly cost Of food, has pressed gore
II for come years past For secre-
tary Wilson declares that this In
crease Of agricultural wealth has just
begun:
The most effective move toward re-
dncing the cost Of living ID the pro-
duction Of greater crops. Beginners
hare been made in production IN
Ecreasing faster than the natural in
icreage 81 population.
the gecresarg calls attention proud
I II 70 this years enormous crops, Of
which only two, wheat and tobacco.
have been exceeded twice In prodnc-
4 ticn, and only two, cotton and rice,
have been exceeded once in produc.
I ton. All Of the other crops stand
at high water mark--ali OF me cere-
ais but wheat and rice, the great hay
crop, potatoes, faDgeed and beet
sugar lie also recounts the adj
yances made In department which
has in sixty years progressed from
the kindergarten through the pri.
mary, middle. and upper grades OF de-
I yeiopment until nov it has a thousand
tongues speaking with authority:
/ Bureaus hare been created and e1-
banded Lines Of research, investiga-
ton, and demonstration have been
multiplied. Congress has piled duty
on duty from year to year. The crops
" experts needed In the increasing
3amount and variety Or service bas
grown greatly The department has
become great agricultural nniyer-
lGity for pogtgraGuate work. Dlgcoy-
cries for The benefit Of farm practices
and improvements Of old cneg have
been eountlegs The department has
both promoted and begin reyolii-
ton in the a7ss and geiences OF agri-
culture
Ii1is brlet summing up Of the pub
lfc lie Of James Wilson appears in
the KEN YorE Eyenjns Post:
He waa born In Gcotland seventy
sseFen years ago. huf hss lived in the
United States for eIxty years. He
served In several Of lie general ar
gnmolicg Of Iowa. y, one Of them AZ
Hpaakor ard slso ~ railway ecrnTnis.
stoner. regent 81 tbe efafe university,
4 director Of a,a,c agricultural exneri.
sInent stations, and professor Of agri-
culture IN Iowa Agricultural college.
i he Mag first elected 10 congress fl
1872, ard Derycd ia the Eorty,third,
and Forty.fourth conaregges. II
was prceldent sfcKinleg gho
], In 1887. made him secretary Of
Iagricaltnre, rcappointjng him In 1901.
as RooseYclt dif ID 1905, and 1'aft Ia
, 1902.