The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-16
HILL THINKS CROP
VAULE MAY REACH
FIFTEEN BILLIONS
Texas Alone Expected to Get
About S8OO,OOO,OOO for
Crops This Year
RETURNS OFTEN Do
NOT REACH FARMER
Day Is Coming When More Efficient
Distribution Will Bring Far Larg-
er Sum to Producers
Than Now
Nv HOLLAND

By HOLLAND
New York, August 15.-{Special)-A
statement was recently reported to have
been made by member of Congress that
the farmers of the United States were
despoiled last year of about $4,000, 100000
through the manipulation of the money
powers: for instead of receiving $13,000-
100000 for their crops they received only
about s7,00O.0OO.OOO. Several years ago Ben
janin f. Yoakum is reported to have told
large gathering of farmers In the south
west that the men who raised food and
clothing products, wool and cotton, in the
United States, did not begin to receive
what they should when they sold these
commodities, but intimated that the loss
was due to unscientihc and expensive
methods of marketing their products.
There was no intimation that the man of
finance of New York. Chicago, Boston,
Philadelphia or ST Louis or those of New
Orleans or Mobile who aid in financing
the cotton crop had made large profits at
the expense of the farmers. Mr. Yoakums
intimation was clear that middlemen, GER
tain expenses entailed in getting the crops
from the fields to the railroad stations
and various methods involving uneconom-
IL was that the producers did not receive
good deal more than even the enormous
amount of money which their crops really
brought them.
The estimate last year was that the
final marketing of American crops of all
kinds vas represented by about $4,000. co.,
00o, and that the crops as they stood
after harvesting, or at least after they
ha6 been placed in the elevators of ware
houses. were of the money value of some-
thing over 5000 100000.
But apparently the member of Congress
who asserted that the farmers should
have received some $4,000 100000 more than
they did, based his estimate upon the
ultimate price paid by customers for these
products. The financial machinery that is
inevitable If harvests of the magnitude
OF those garnered in the United States are
to reach the ultimate consumer is also
of magnitude, and credit and the lending
of money, which are the facilities needed
for the movement of a 5000 100000 crop
from elevators and the warehouses to the
final consumer, are agencies which prop
erly command reasonable returns. Credit
is not given for nothing and money COM
mands the market price.
James j. Hill b. II. Yoalxum and the
late L. IL. Hartman have all been quoted
as saying that by and by there will have
been fostered a system simple, economical,
of almost automatic precision whic4i will
enable the farmers to get larger returns
from their products because 1t will free
them from some necessary expenses in
CURED in the marketing of their products,
and will enable them to carry their COM
nodities until good prices can be OBJ
tanned.
Howard ElIiott's Opinion
Some of the addresses delivered in the
past three or four years by Howard Ell
lott, when as president of the Northern
Pacific Railroad company, he was study
ing the opportunities and the needs of the
northwest contains many intimations that
ne understands in this day of poor or
ganization how necessarily expensive to
the farmers the marketing of their crops
now is President Elliott is firmly con-
vnced that the farmers of this country
will not reap their full reward until they
have mastered the principles of intensive
FARMING. NE has deplored some evidences
of Wastef ass and of uneconomical
methods wIaon have been characteristic
of some farming communities in the re-
mote northwest.
Friends in this city of James j. Hill say
that he has been for some time OF the
opinion that the farmers of the United
States should now, making allowances for
climatic conditions that may be unfaVor-
able be able to raise crops of the money
value of SIS, 900 100000 each year. Whether
Mr.. Hill meant that $1,000, 100000 would
he the ultimate payment by consumers
or that the farmers should receive as
much as $l50O0,000,000 for their crops he
did not say. But if he meant that $l5,o0O,-
0e6 900 would ultimately pay for single
American harvest he must have estimated
that the farmers should receive about ST.
00oOO0,OO0 for their products.
The Agricultural Wealth of Southwest
II was in Texas that b. f. Yoakum
made the address to the farmers in which
he intimated that they were losing some
portion of the money they should nave
received from their crops because there
var so much intermediate handing OF the
clops and so many incidental expenses en-
tailed in getting the crops from the feids
or warehouses to the elevators If the rest
of the southwest, for which Mr.. Yoakum
especially spoke, should this year do as
well as Texas, agriculture in that sectlon
of the country should pay the farmers
bounteously for their industry Wlthln
few days correspondence has been re-
t.eix ed in this city from Texas which tends
10 show that there is something OF
| money stringency and credit strlngeney at
this time in that state. But the cores
pondence also shows that this is due al
most wholly to the extraordinary boun-
| teous harvest in Texas. The condition is
a condition of prosperity. Texas farmers
are seeking credit and funds because their
| haryests are so plentiful as to make 1T IN
eyitable that demands for hnanclal ana
he made One of the estimates receiVeu IN
This city from Texas recently fixes the
gross value of the harvest of that state
! for tbis year at between s70O,0OO0o0 and
500 900 600. Much the greater part or TINS
enormous sum the farmers or TeXas VIII
receive for their crops, and the money
will represent the conversion or new
wealth obtained from the soil into cash
or credit.
Unless there should be some setback
rrexas is to produce approximately 5,Ooo,00o
bales of cotton this year. Ii the event
proves this estimate to be correct, then
re cotton planters of Texas will have
raised approximately 40 per cent OF the
entire American cotton crop. In Iexas
perhaps partially on account OF the SEED
sown bv Mr.. Yoakum and partly the re-
suit of experience. there is likely to be
th,s wear a demonstration of the ability OF
American farmers to work out plan TOT
fbe economic financing of their cotton
cron The plan represents cooperation be-
tween the association of farmers OIL tnat
state and the banks and that II mas
proved to be a success is one of the best
demonstrations possible of the value OF
the modern idea of cooperation.
Cotton King; Corn the Prince
One of the new demonstrations of the