Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-30
EsTiMATE or DEPARTMENT or
AGRICULTURE SHOWS FARM.
ER 10 FAVORED.
sEsT AGRICULTURAL WEAR
IN NATIONAL HISTORY
Living Cost Stay, Up and Consumer 10
Not ssncfitsd-Priess Slow 70 Drop
Following Rise Due to Last Years
shortase-veIume, Of Exports Ener.
nous.


dollars worth of products. $4,000. O6O,.
600 of cash income-a bumper year IL
spite, of drougfts and other setbacks-
Is the 1913 record Of 100000 Ameri.
/ can farms @
The most successful year Of hus.
bandry in the United States brought
forth $6,100,000.000 worth of crops, O.
] which $3.50, 100000 was represented b,
I cereals alone, and $3,650,000,00O worth
OF animals sold and slaughtered anc
animal products.
The value of the 1913 crops is twice
as great as that of 1899; more thar
$1,000, 100000 over 1903, and substan.
TALLY greater than 1912. OF all the
crops. however. 1t is estimated that 81
! per cent will remain on farms where
they were produced, and that 20 pei
cent of the animal production will re-
main. On that basis the cash income
is estimated by the department 81
agriculture at $5.S47.0O0.00O.
| Consumer Will Not Benefit.
But despite record year of croI
value-altho the record Of production
has fallen-and the fact that the num-
Der of farms has increased II per cen,
since 1910, until there are estimated
to be 100000 farms in the country
! the department in discussion Of the
subject made public today does no,
! take the view that lower cost Of liv-
ing will follow as consequence.
| However desirable increased pro-
duction on farms may appear to be
F., from the consumers standpoint" says
the report, 1T does not follow tina,
such increased production would result
| in any increase In the cash income
per farm or per capita OF farm popu-
lation. or that prices paid by consum-
ers would be any lower.
| Finds MiddIemsn Regulate Prices.
| "Had the total production in 1913
eaualed or exceeded the 1912 produc-
ton 1t seems probable that the cash
income per farm would not have been
greater, and might have been less than
, in 1912; but 1t is extremely doubtful
whether the cost to the consumer
would have been any less. because re-
tail prices are promptly raised on a
prospect Of underproduction. but are
verytslow to decline II there Is over
production. s',e1.es.. ag5 :"
"The long line of distributors and
middlemen between the farmer and the
consumer are in position to take ad-
vantage of the market and to certain
extent control the market in both d.
rections because they are better or
ganized to keep informed of crop and
market conditions and to act promptly
than either farmers or consumers, who
are not organized. and as individuals
are helpless.
Urges Reform in Distribution.
'The high prices paid by consumers.
ranging from to nearly 500 per cent
| In some cases more than the farmer
receives. indicate that there is plenty of
room for lowering the cost Of farm
products to consumers and at the same
time largely increasing the cash income
per farm without increasing farm pro-
duction.
This condition undoubtedly Is a
marketing problem. which will have to
be solved by better organization of
farmers and improved methods of
marketing. When as the result Of
such organization and improved
methods the price Of farm pro-
ducts can be maintained at a higher
level without increasing the cost to
consumers farmers will be justified in
increasing the output of their farms
with a fair prospect Of realizing reas-
enable profit on their investment of
time. labor. and money, which in the
aggregate IL enormous.
Value Of Crops Runs High.
"The value Of the crops of 1913 is
high. A new high record in estimated
value is made by the total Of all cereals,
and separately by corn. cotton, cotton
seed. tobacco and sugar beets. Only
once has there been a higher estimated
value for oats. rye. rice. potatoes, hay,
hops. and the total Of beet and cane
sugar. Only twice has the estimated
value Of wheat and Of beet sugar been
exceeded
DAIRY products Of 1918 are estimated
at more than $s14,O00,000. Eggs and
fowls have an estimated value Of more
than 1913 5000. 200.
THE wool production Of 1918. esti-
mated at 3o4.ooo,00o pounds. was over
$51 100000.
"The common phenomenon OF record
yield and crop value below the record,
and OF record crop value with low pro-
duction, Is presented by more than half
dozen OF the crops Of 1913.
1.-THE prices of, fourteen principal
crops average about 202 per cent high
er than year ago and 46 per cent
higher than two years ago. Their to-
tai values average about 3S per cent
higher than q year ago and 7.6 per cent
higher, than two years ago.
Volume Of Exports Enormous.
"In these days Of high prices Of food
1t seems to be overlooked that the
farmers OF this country are producing
enormous SURPRISES for export to for
eign countries. Prices are high in other
countries as well as in this one.
'"The value Of the agricultural ex-
ports Of domestic production in the fis-
cal year 1918 was s1,123,021,4 1853, an
amount which has not before been
equaled. The re-exports, otherwise
called the exports Of foreign agricul-
tural products. are estimated at 49,
100000. The So called balance Of trade
in agricultural products is In favor Of
the exports Of domestic farm products
by 12ss, 100000.
1.-THE census reports indicate that in
1909 the total amount Of wages paid
to farm iaborers was 1851. 611.2S7. This
IL almost double the cost in 1899. which
was 33s7,s71,s3o. Considerable Increases
In this item Of expense is indicated
since 1909"
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