The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1912-09-27
FAR MERS

Ne U. MASIEKION, MGR.
i First we may observe that the farmer
is more Independent of either progressive
or retrogressive movements of the busi-
ness of the world than any other class of
producers. Whatever the farmer and
his family produces for family consump-
tion costs him exactly the same labor in
prosperous or in hard times. It is paid
for by labor that is approximately equal
in amount in both cases.
4 But the sorplus production, over and
above the family needs, represents cost,
all of which may be measured in dollars.
In this the labor of the farmer and his
family Is also to be reckoned. AS for ex-
ample, when wages are but dollar a
day, the cost of production for the farm
er's individual work is not SO high as
when wages are double that amount,
though forsooth he has to work just as
many hours. But 1t means that he could
not exchange his days work for money
at any other rate. So that item in the
money cost of raising bushel of wheat
is represented by the "going wages of
the season.
Ofcourse the same sort of reckoning
must be made in all items of expense
such as horsee, hired men, machinery,
interest, etc. These items are so many
that it IS almost impossible to get at
them all in their trus proportion of cost,
but what is true of one will also be gen.
orally true Of another in their relation to
whether the cost of production is high or
low.
So for present purposes we take the
matter of wages to hired men which are
now higher than ever paid before for
farm labor, and as we said, this is but
one factor of the cost of production, but
the same increase applies to all.
Now suppose the farmer raises twenty
bushels Of wheat to !the acre, does he
make more money in the years of high
prices or in times Of low prices. BY
reference to the files Of the Pioneer Ex-
press we find that prices for Northern
in Pembina were running throughout
the years past about as follows:- 1891
81 cents; 1892, So; 1893, 4s cents. Ten
years later, in 1900, 81 cents; 1901, 81
cents; 1902 So cents.
These figures were obtained by open
lug tie files at random and getting the
weeks quotations for from five to seven
different months in each year.
As all know in 1911 and for two or
three years previous the price has been
about the dollar mark.
Now for the original question, does the
farmer make more money now when he
has to pay $500 or $3.50 for days work
than IN those former years when he paid
say dollar and half for labor?
Taking round numbers for quick
figuring:
Low prices.
20 bushels Of wheat at 30 cts is SO 90
Labor cost per an acre ssy / sol
Balance 8 so
High prices.
20 bushels Of wheat at 81. is go 90
Labor per an acre say 3 90
Balance II 90
OF course we are not trying to figure
just what the cost per acre for labor
really is, but it will make no difference
in the general and comparative results
whatever figures are used. Double the
.pisce Of the product and double the
price Of the cost will always bring .
similar margin. But Of course il the
farmer is raising wheat at 5 loss, that is,
selling below cost Of production, then the
balances win show up on the wrong side
Of the ledger in just the same proportion
It's true that the farm laborers, the
horse dealers, the machinery makers,
and all the rest Of them have been crowd-l
ing ahead these later years, but We think
on the whole the farmer has gone TO the
front, Just : little farther than any q
them. gS
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