Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-02-02

ing the same time $3.50 per hundred
pounds, or 20 per cent. This condi-
ton IL unbearable, almost unthinkable
and yet it has been going on month
after month and not single execu-
tive officer OF the government has in
terceded in behalf Of the American
farmer to put a stop to pernicious
practice If not an unlawful conspiracy.
The executive officers Of the gov
eminent, whose sworn duties are to
enforce the law, may give an excuse
for, their failure to prosecute these
violators Of the Sherman antitrust law
that the farmers have received an In
crease in the price Of their wheat and
their oats and their corn and that they
should not therefore complain. 1t is
true that the price Of wheat has ad-
vanced from 7S cents a bushel in July
to $3.50 per bushel during the past six
months. oats have advanced and like
wise corn has gone up in price. but
these advances aid only the farmers
who have these cereals for SALE They
do not help the farmer who uses his
corn and his oats for the purpose Of
maturing his stock and who looks to
the sale Of his fat stock for his annual
income.
Points 20 Iowa.
take the state Of Iowa for example
for it is typical stock raising state
The farmers Of that state naturally
desire some Of the benefits from the
great advance that has been made in
the price in all food products by rea-
soin Of the war in Europe. But the
fact is that the farmers Of Iowa under
present conditions obtain but little of
the great increase in the price of food
stuffs.
'-The entire state, OF Iowa produces
only about 100000 bushels of wheat
and consumes about 100000 bushels.
Take from our production of wheat the
amount that we consume and what we
use for seed but very little remains for
sale.
1.-THE farmers Of Iowa for several
years have been advised by such emil
nent men as the Honorable James Will
son, the real father and builder of the
now great United States department of
agriculture, to conserve their lands by
raising livestock, and feeding their
cereals on their farms. They have fol-
lowed this advice and In recent years
have taken to raising cattle and hogs
as their principal source Of profit.
while we raise wheat, we raise only
a little more than our people consume.
We raise more oats by far than any
state in the union, but a large portion
Of our oats production is fed to orr
livestock. We excel all of the other
states in the union In the production
Of corn, producing In 1914. 3S9,424 900
bushels yet Of that great crop we will
feed more than IS per cent to our live
stock. In the production of hay, Iowa
excels all the, other states in the Union.
save only the great Empire State of
New York, but this crop is largely fed
to our horses and cattle. Iowa pro-
duces more horses than any state in
the union. 1t produces more cattle
than any state, except Texas, and it
produces more hogs by 100000, than
any other state.
Bulk Of Grain Fed at Home.
'It can be said, as a general rule,
that the great productions OF cereals
in Iowa is to large extent fed to live
stock raised or matured within the
state It is therefore to the sale of
livestock and especially to the sale Of
cattle and hogs that our farmers must
look for their. annual return. and when
they see the price Of pork advancing
in London, at the rate OF Is per cent
in six months, and at the same time
see the price of their hogs decline on
our markets Is per cent, they realize
that some strong force, stronger than
the law OF competition. is at work
undermining their profits and destroy
ing their industry.
when our farmers see the foreign
and domestic price Of beef advance
and at the same time are forced to sell
their fat cattle on the livestock mar
kets, their only market, at greatly
reduced price, they are forced to the
conclusion that powerful interests have
combined against them to unreason-
ably depress the price Of their prin-
cipal product and to ruin their pros