Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-05-30
FARMERS INCOME IS SMALLEST
AVERAGE IN INDUSTRIAL FIELD
Machine Developments Have Given Others Direction Of Markets
Agricultural Producers Must Regain Control.

In 1910 the total value of farm
property in the United States was
S40,991 1891, 090. The total capital in
vested in manufacturing, the next
sized industry, was &c, 900.
The total value of farm crops mar
keted in 1909 was $5s4s7,O O0, 900. The
total value of the manufactured prod
ucts was $40, 672, o52, 900.
With less than half the capital the
manufacturers received nearly four
times the gross returns the armer
received.
The census of 1900 shows that 81
per cent OF the farmers of the United
States have an income of less than
$3.50 a year. Only about 8 per cent
have an income of $ $500 and over.
The remaining &C per cent have an
income from $3.50 to $4,000 with 50
per cent Of these incomes less than
81, 1000.
The department Of agriculture is
sued the following statement in Au-
gust, 1917: The average income of
the farm families of the United
States which represents what the
farmer gets for his labor and mana
ger1al ability, after allowing 5 per
cent on his investment, was shown
to be by an intensive, investigation
by the department Of agriculture,
1892 for twelve months. This in
cludes the service of his wife and
children as we'll as the farmer him
self. This also includes what he
received toward his living from the
farm and therefore represents. the
total income of the family"
Tenantry Increasing.
The biggest and most valuable of
producers is becoming involved in an
increasing burden of debt and is grad
ually losing his farm. Mortgages and
tenantry are on the increase. The
census shows that there were in the
United States in 1910: Farms oper-
ated by owners. 62.1 per cent; by
tenants, 81 per cent; by managers, 80
per cent. This same census report
also says that 30 per cent of the
farms in the United States were
mortgaged in 1900 and 1873 per cent
in 1910.
What is the cause of this? Natur.
ally one might suppose it is because
the farmer has not kept pace with
the development of machinery and
is not producing enough.
Machinery Increases Productivity.
This far from the truth. AS a
matter of fact the increased produc-
tivity of the farmer as a result of
the introduction of farm machinery
within the last SO years constitutes
one of the greatest revolutions in
modern industry. 1t is estimated that
machinery n steam and gasoline
power have increased the productiv-
ity of the average farmer 25-fold since
the Civil war. The labor cost of
raising a bushel of wheat, for in
stance, has decreased during this
from 17A cents to 3M cents.
The Encyclopedia of American Ag-
riculture says: "As late as 1S45 the
United States did not raise enough
wheat for it's bread. With the adj
vent of the steel pillow, the self-bind-
ing harvester and the steam thresh-
Ing machine there came a marked
change. The food supply increased
from 4.33 bushels of wheat per person
In 1S45 to as high as 10 bushels in
1889. In the same er~ch the popula-
ton on the farm had decreased from
$3.50 per cent in 1890 to so per cen
of the population in 1850 and SO per
cent in 1900. The farmers employing
less than one-third Of the labor of
the country, provided enough to sup
port themselves and the other 66 per