The Washington socialist. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1914-1915, 1914-08-13
FACTS REVEALED BY THE
CENSUS ON AGRICULTURE.
Value Of Farm Products in 1913 Is
Near $4,000, 900, Which
Beats All Records.

culture shows that the value of farm
products raised in the United States in
1913 Is $9,750, 100000. In round num-
bers, he fixes the total value of all
crops for the year at SO, 100000.
He makes up the grand total of
nearly ten billion by adding to the
value of the crops the farm value of
animals sold and slaughtered and of
animal products, which he estimates
at $3,650, 100000.
The total farm investment in the
United States is estimated to be $40,-
991 $4,000. The total gross income is
estimated at $6,237,S5O,146, and the
total expenses $2,163,S22,647. Net
farm income, $4074, 027 ,499.
In monetary value of products the
farms OF the United States have made
record, although the value of pro-
duction was materially below the av-
erage. The value OF farms for 1913
is nearly half billion dollars above
the value for 1912, which was itself a
record year.
The statistics gathered by the cen
sus show that there was an increase
of II per cent in the total number Of
farms from 1900 to 1910. On this per-
centage of increase the total number
of farms at present, according to the
department estimate, is 100000, and
based on the estimated returns in crop
and animal products for 1913, the av-
erage cash income for farms will be
nearly 5000.
This does not represent n net In
come, for out of this amount the
farmer must pay for fertilizer, hire of
help stock feed, maintenance OF farm
equipment and taxes" says the report.
The figures show the average farm
in the United States is 1873 acres, Of
which rs acres only is improved; that
the total invested in farms and i'm
provements is nearly $50, 100000,
making an average for each farm of
about $4,000. Deducting expenses
from gross income the net farm in
come, based on the estimated crop for
1913, is $4,O74, O27,499.
Largest and Smallest Returns.
The report shows that the smallest
average cash income from the farm
per capita is returned in the states of
Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mis-
sissippi, Louisiana, TeaXes, Oklahoma
and Arkansas, where the labor of a
relatively large number of adults and
children is required to produce the
crops while the largest income per
capita is required in the states of
Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North and
South Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska.
"The average farmer is not realiz-
ing material product over and above
what might reasonably be expected on
his labor and investment" says the de-
partment bulletin.
On the contrary, if cash income per
farm and per capita alone is consid-
cred it would appear that in many
sections farmers and their families do
not make wages comparable with
wages received in other occupations
requiring an equal degree of expert
ence, intelligence and skill
The uncertainty of the farmers cash
income, however, is more than offset
by the certainty of a livelihood, and
the fact that he does not have to make
cash payments at frequent intervals
for his rent, water, fuel and a large
part of his food for his family.
Commenting on the relation of agri-
cultural production to prices, Leon NJ
Estabrook, chief of the bureau of sta
tistics, says:
However desirable increased pro-
duction on farms may appear to be
from the consumers standpoint, it
does not follow that such increased
production would result in any in
crease in the cash income per farm or
per capita of farm population, or that
prices paid by consumers would be
any lower.
Comparative Returns.
"The estimated total farm produc-
ton in 1913 is less than in 1912, yet
the estimated gross and net cash re-
turns to farmers are greater than in
1912.
Had the total production in 1913
equaled or exceeded the 1912 produc-
ton, it seems probable that the cash
income per farm would not have been
greater, and might have been less,
than in 1912; but it is extremely
doubtful whether the cost to the con-
sumner would have been any less be-
cause retail prices are promptly raised
on a prospect of underproduction, but
are very slow to decline if there is
oVerproduction.
1.-The long line of distributors and
middlemen between the farmer and
consumer are in a position to take ad