The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-07-01

products since 1920 that we al
ton to a fact or t@o which n
Who have felt that ttere has been Q
= crushing surplus OF the staples OF
the farm. From 1911 to 1916 aver.
ago production II cotton was H.. |
$4,000 bales at ~ average price
or l24l cents p.r found. while from |
1921 To 1925 pr auction averaged
1l.3G2O00 bales al an average price |
OF 2l.S5 cents Pc pound. In the |
10ll.lol5 period wheat production
averaged S06.a5S.00c bushels at an
average price Ut s. ceyts. while In |
102ll925 the average production
was S04.3S4.000 bushels at a $1.llk
average: In the former period corn
averaged 2.754.0OO.0O0 bushels at
COS cents while in the latter the
average was 2.S73.000.000 at G9.6
cents. Cattle on farms for i91l.l915|
were 37.178.000 at an averr 80 esti.
mated price Of $26.52 whilc In the
latter period the annual average
was 4i.616.0OO at 3260S. Hogs on
farms In the first period were g..
$4,000 ut an average price OF $9.58
per head. and In the latter 60.41S..
900 at Sll.34.
The Surplus Production Myth
From these figures. which clint.
nate the period that embraced the
war and the early postwar infa
ton. II will be observed that. with
the exception Of cotton and cattle,
production has been almost uni.
form In the two periods. In no
case has production anywhere ap.
proacled an increase c0mmensu.
rate witt. the increase In popula,
ton. So-called surplus production
is largely q myth and the cause OF
the farmers complaint must be
looked for In some other direction.
Il must be admitted thes all has
not been and 10 not we'll with this
industry. After al. what II the
matter with agriculture1 There
are . few facts which seem obvi.
Gus a. part at least OF the under.
tying causes Of tho situation and
which suggest something Of the
% applied.
Present difficulties had their In.
cErtion la.:n'y IN imitation Of
price. for agricultural products
iron, 1915 to 1920 with conseQ lent
large expansion Of profits. This
led Inevitably with the farmer -
With the manufacturer to exrsn.
ato9 Of plant and equipment-tha
requirement BY the individual OF
larger acreage and modern. II not
always efficient. machinery. These
statements do not apply to every
Ons because there are always some
who play safely and conservative.
IT, proved by the fact that there
are millions OF farmers who have
gone through the recer. crisis
without any difficulty and IRE to-
day prosperous and contenteA In
TACT the complaints today are con.
ine from less than Is per cent OF
the farmers Of the country and
from the hordes OF politicians who
are seeking to make capital out OF
the situation.
Results o. imitation and Expanslon
With the average and with the
majority OF those who were swept
OF their feet BY the wave OF pros
perity through which they were
passing. let u analyxe the results
OF this imitation and expansion The
farmer operating on land thai he
was carrying 10 HE capital account
atrA value Of. gay. 500 pr acre.
and who perhaps rad loan Of $50
a. acre. suddenly tounA that. b
cai1ss OF the increased profits from
HE operations. his land had . mar
kef value. OF $500 per acre and that
II ~ had : new tractor ana some
new farm machinery. - could
greatly increase his production
D6E Il 40 did that 10 would need
larger barn and more ~srshouae
fallllties. The chances are thai
Win an eppraisai ~ Ssoe pr acre
81 hls land no increaasd his inan
Is 800 ~ .acroI thereby douhlinl
nm capital account and bis minded
.a6bk-uos out Of sarnings nut DO
$500 IS biz ability 10 sf5ect =
800 ss0e - l0n enr cant al