The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-01-07
THE COST OF RAISING WHEAT


Much has been said and writer
about the cost per bushel of produc
ing wheat in the Inland Empire. Dar
Morgan was right or he would moi
a fraction OF cent in long article
in a Spokane farm paper some time
ago Mr.. Morgan had the items all
nicely arranged and made the total
cost of producing bushel of wheat
in the Inland Empire, $1.92A. Note
that fraction. Isn't it impressive. Any
one would know at a glance that Mr..
Morgan was right rhe would not
have figured it down to fraction of
Z a cent.
! But Is Mr.. Morgan right? If he is
there is no grain land in the Inland
Empire that is worth $40 per acre.
Every man who raises wheat loses
money, il Morgan, or the other men
who figure the average cost of pro-
ducing a bushel of wheat runs all the
way from 81 to $217 per bushel, are
correct in their Figures.
Taking the price Of wheat the Pa
louise country for a period of 80 years
and the average price is found to be
below 30 cents a bushel. If it has
cost an average of $1.92s4 per bushel
to produce wheat the farmers have
lost an average of $1.O2A per bushel
on the wheat produced. Common
sense teaches us that this is impos-
sible and that no farmer could con-
tinue to produce wheat at loss, I'M
-clared he sold everything for "a little
less than COST When asked how he
managed to continue in business he
replied: I'VE could not if we did not
do such an enormous business"
Any one at all conversant with the
Palouse country during the past so
years, knows that land values have
increased from $40, SIS and $40 per
acre to 500, $3.50 and 5000, or 10
times the value of 80 years ago.
Every one knows that farmers have
become enormously rich by raising
wheat in the Palouse country and the
average price for 30 years was below
80 cents bushel Then why not get |
down to earth land facts) quit talk
ingi and writing nonsense about wheat |
costing twice as much as it actually |
costs, and quit trying to make the
farmers believe they are working at
loss. No class in the Palouse country
has prospered in the past 80 years i
as have the farmers who have remain i
ed on their own farms, and raised /
wheat and livestock. Just look around
over the Palouse country and see the
many prosperous farmers who have
increased their holdings during the
past 80 years; who come to town in
high power cars and are rated as men
of wealth, and compare the number
of these with the merchants who have
their wealth proportionate
Iy. and see how many rich farmers
you find for every rich merchant.
Then when some one tells you it
|
to $2.17 per bushel to produce wheat,
just tell him the farmer whom it
costs that much is a mighty poor
farmer or has mighty poor land.
R "a n
TAXPAYERS DEMAND ECONOMY
Unless this republican legislature
Yields the axe. the next Legislature
will not have enough republicans in
it to give the party showing in com
mittee.
Every session the legislators are
urged to cut down expense of gov
eminent. but the demand is consid-
cred perfunctory and very little at
entiOn is paid to it. This year the
people are not demanding nor re-
but they are watching-and
hey all have knives up their sleeves
The republicans were put in power
BECAUSE the people hoped they would
,e able to bring better conditions
ease-on trial-and, unless the axe
swung relentlessly, it will look for
Their quarters when the lease ex-
Tres.
The Christmas card received by the
laho taxpayers in the shape OF the
TX notice has caused them to take
tile time for thought
They are still thinking Idaho ~
.atesman. Co