The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-10-02
MARKET SLUMP
seen IN 1920
oryahIzatISn Alone
Will Prepare Farmer tor
Era Of Low Prices.

unlimited markets and comparatively
lhfSh prices Of war time and the old
strnggle against mopopolized or limited
markets and low prices is near. &C
c0rdIng to the Opinion OF many stu
dents Of economic conditions through
out the country. Immediate intensive
organisation, political and economic,
say these writer's, is. the, best prepare
ton the farmers can make to meet
this condition. !.
Among q variety Of reasons why
conditions VIII begin to grow worse ii
1920. the following are some that have
been given:
The war price guarantees will all be
removed In 1920. /
Argentina, Australia, Canada and
other farm competitors of the United
States will be everywhere in the world
markets with their immense Quantities
Of produce.
The war areas Of Europe BY that
time will have approached normal
farm production.
Back to Monopoly.
Competition In the world markets
for the sale Of farm products will be
keen under conditions where monopoly
ana not governments at war will be
the controlling factor.
The Forum of Spokane, WASH, de-
voted to the interests of the farmers
and labor, says that IN account of So
called overproduction, unemployment
and q glut in the market OF farm
products, the farmers may face scent
hogs and 70-cent wheat in the fall q
1920. y
This paper says.
1T will startle many to know that
our W power to produce, with mod.
srn tools, is SO great that during 1917
and 1913, when we too were in the
war, when 100000 Of our best men
were of the farm and out Of the mills
and factories, vi produced more OF
every commodity, except cotton, than
we had eve done before; that We now
have the largest stock of hogs and
cattle on the farms; the largest sur.
plus Of grain in our history.
I'VE would now be in the throes OF
unemployment and general financial
disaster except for two causes: First,
an exaggerated idea Of the great world
market now open to US, which In fact
is a myth, as Herbert Hoover has
pointed out recently by showing that
every European port is blockaded with
goods from u markets, but which the
people of Europe either do not need OF
cannot bay. Second, a feverish fear
that If u soldiers r not put to work
at once they may 60 Bolshevik.
Farm Stocks Increasing
I'VE have just examined the United
States government reports for 1915
and quote from them q few c0mpari.
sons of stocks on hand. For instance
Cows. q, ~, COO 2s,4e7.o go
Stock cattle. . ..35,S55,Q0 .OOO
Hogs. .59.ss8.ooo 1881 00
Production in iron In 1914 was e..
100000 tons; in 1918 89.oo0y00o. The
increase in the production Dr. farm
products range from 10 to 100 per cert
increase and It Is doubtful II 1919 will
equal 1914 In the volume Of export
trade.
"There is a possible shortage In .
few lines Of manufactured goods, bu1
is in no wise alarming and can be msl
In SIX months.
Industrial lines, especially metal
trade, are already slowing up and BE-.
fore spring there will be q surplus Of
labor. Idle labor has no purchasina
power. This will help to sharpen the
drive downward on farm products until
6-cent hogs and 70-cent wheat q a
easy possibility for the 1910 crou.s