Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1912-11-22

Tue MdJOFISy Will awaken 10 LD6 TGdllZ-
alton that it is beyond their reach.
We are at this time on the verge of
this condition. The price of farm
products has nearly doubled in The
last 10 years and the price of land
has more than kept corresponding
pace.
PURCHASING POWER OF FARM
PRODUCTS.
The Minneapolis Daily News pub
lished the former article entitled
"Back to the Land" being review
of agricultural and living conditions
in which the intention was to show
the agricultural situation of the Un.
tied States fol period of thirty years,
ending January LIST, 1910.
1t was intended later to give the
information more in detail. Consid-
erable data has since been gathered
for that purpose.
On July 3Oth, 1910, The North
western Agriculturist published an
editorial entitled. "How Prices Affect
Farmers, in which it stated "The
best phase of the farmers situation
is the increased purchasing value of
farm products now as compared with
previous years. The figures given
would seem to have considerable
value, for instance:
In 1896 ten bushels of corn bought
21 lbs. of coffee.
Today of it buys 20 lbs.
Ten bushels of wheat bought 1872
lbs. of sugar.
Today it buys 249 lbs.
Twenty bushels of oats bought 12O
lbs. of nails.
Today it buys 483 lbs.
Ten bushels of fax bought $500
shingles.
Today it buys $500 shingles.
Twenty bushels of potatoes bought
1O2 ft. of oak lumber.
Today it buy 116 ft.
A 1,2O0-lb. steer bought 2.615 lbs.
Today it buys 4,218 lbs.
Twenty lbs. Of butter bought 5
bbls. of salt.
Today it buys bbls.
A 3OO-lb. hog bought 244 lbs. OF
sugar.
Today it buys 669 lbs.
By this we see that the purchasing
power of the farmers work has dou.
bled in the last IA years. Compare
this with the mechanic, factory man,
clerk or other city worker. The
earning power of his labor has in.
creased very little and that which
he has to purchase has more thar
doubled in value, leaving the purchas.
ing power of the pro duct of his labor
less than one-half of what it was Ia
years ago.
Putting it on percentage basis,
and assuming that IA years ago they
were equal, both standing at 100 pei
cent, the purchasing power of the
city workers efforts has reduced tt
SO per cent, while that of the farmer
has increased to 200 per cent. Thu!
it will be seen that the financial stu
alton of the farmer is today four times
better than that of the city worker
When it is considered that only :
few years ago the financial situation
of the city worker was far superior t
that of the farmer, these figures ar,
astonishing.
It was only few years ago tina
farm products were very cheap, ant
modern conveniences for tiIling tn,
soil comparatively unknown. Farming
, was then both undesirable and unpro
J ftable and many of the farms wer'
abandoned and the farmers moved t
} the cities. Wheat was worth SOC t
6Oc bushel. and other products wer
! equally cheap. At that time cit
3 worker earning 81. so or $500 da
] could buy as much with it as he coul
> produce on farm. and enjoy NOR
8 of the conveniences and pleasures Q
a life. Today he could not purchas
$ for $4. 90 what he formerly purchase
b for $500. If he was earning $S.0 O
per day, his relative position, as CON
/. pared with the farmers. would M
e be as goOd as it was IA years ago ;
kNrN TH 81.