Evening star., 1923-07-30
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

ators Curtis and cappers may ask.
what's the matter with Kansas"
~
Nevertheless, the farmers are ac-
prices. which can not be ignored The
value of all agricultural products in
1919 was s24.ss2. 100000. of which
81. 2.074000, 900 represented wheat The
value in 1922 was s14,31o, 1000. of
which $164,000,000 was wheat. Farm
ers have had practically the same
running expenses for labor. seed
| taxes. wear of machinery, etc, in pro-
ducing the 1929 crop as in producing
that of 1919. with a shrinkage of re-
turns amounting to O0,0oo.ooo.
%x ~
The value Of the corn crop last
year was s1soo.ooo 900 and of wheat
only 1854 ZOO, 900.
| II is impossible at this date to
make close and certain comparisons
| between last years crop values with
| this years values, because this years
crops have not yet been produced.
The Department of Agriculture re-
ports on the lst of each month the
| condition of the crops and the "esti-
| mate" of yield. but that estimate Is
not prediction, because almost any
| thing may Mapped to a growing crop
in few days. When the estimate"
/ made July ! is given out, 1t is the
i nearest that can be made as to the
! yield that may come, providing con
| ditions between that date and harvest
| remain normal. but that is not "A
prophecy.
The midwest-Minnesota and ad-
joining states-where spring wheat
grows, is the chief sufferer this year.
Winter wheat of Kansas and adjoin-
| ing states yields practically the same
as in 1922-5Ss. 100000 bushels in
1922 and. estimated July I, 5S5, $50, 600
this year. Spring wheat yielded last
year 2Io,ss70oe, and the July ] esti-
mate this year is only 234, 900
bushels. The farm price of wheat
last year on July ] was 1925 cents
! and this year on July ! only 95.l
cents. These figures indicate that the
| raiSers OF spring wheat-in Mime
sofa and the Dakotas chiefiy-will
get about S59,0o9.S62 less for this
years crop than for last years
Part of that shrinkage must be at.
| tributed to an act of Providence" in
giving yield ~lessened by some
41o1o.o0o bushels, and part to a
lower market price. attributed TO the
greater yield in Europe, which lessons
the call for our grain.
The corn yield of 1922 was 2,s90,,
$4,000 bushels, and the July l esti-
mate this year pointed to abou,
..S77,437. 200 The yield then is ap-
proximately the same. but there is a
jump in farm prices from 62.2 up tc
$50 cents, July lover Ii cents q
bushel and in excess of $40.242. 1SC
for the corn crop of this year oveI
1929.
If party policies are responsible foi
the wheat loss in bushels and price
what is responsible for the corn gain.
Here come more statistics from the
Department of Commerce. Instead o.
quoting the figures, take the concIu.
sions. The facts relate to the
shortage of homes persisting il
America. Building has been cur.
tailed by the high cost of materia
and high wages, and so. five years
after the war. the lack OF a millior
! homes remains lack today of zoe, 08t
homes. Since ii took tive years tc
}
third. il will require ten years more
of strenuous building TO catch up. ever
! if the speed remains the same a il
has been since the war. That may
! throw light on the persistent high
rents and the crowded conditions III
all cities.
|
But that does not do justice TO the
home crisis. The population is in,
creasing at the rate OF lJ00, 600 8
year. That calls for as many new
homes each year as the net produc,
ton Of the last five years. II we car
build no faster than we are doing
we are losing ground, instead o.
catching up.
Building material is being ex
hausted and the future looks gloomy
for the man without home. Wha
is the use of crying: ITO your tents
oh. Israel" SO long a millions have
no tents?
The department reports that build
ing activity has slumped because o
, high costs. and since June ! there
has been no more construction thar
there was duringithe winter.
Copyright 1923. by p V. Collins1