The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-02-22
Editorial Comment
An Undeserved Black Eve
minneapolis JournaD

The executive committee appointed by the recent
Des Mones agricultural conference reports after
a survey that farm lands in the twelve States rep
resented at the conference, including Minnesota,
are now worth but eighty per cent of their 1913
value.
If physician to tell convalcscing patient
that he not convalescng at all, but suffering
relapse the shock might send the patient into just
such relapse And after that the neghbors who
knew the facts would be pretty likely to send fo,
some other doctor.
How about these twenty-five farm doctors? Ag-
riculture is convalescng after long illness. And
right at this time they bring in a necessarily cx-
pare report that agriculture is suffering relapse!
Farms worth twenty per cent less than in 1913!
How? Where? In dollars and cents? Surely not
III Minnesota. Let's dig back into the real estate
advertising in The Journal files and see.
In the late winter Of 1913 Chisago County farm
of "241 level acres, no stones stumps,' thirty
four miles from the Twin Cities with 80 acres u,l-
der cultivation, 80 producing heavy crops of hay,
and the rest wooded pasture, was advertised for
So 600. In February, 1926, we find advertised a
Chisago County farm IF only 200 acres, so acres
under cultivation for $50 acre. or $4,000 for the
whole.
Thirteen years ago there advertised a farm
Of 800 acres, 220 under cultivation forty five
miles from Minneapolis, for $50 an acre, including
good buildings, fifteen cows, five horses, chickens
hogs, machinery and everything ese In 1926 we
find advertised farm Of 225 acres 1876 acres under
cultivation, sixty miles from Minneapolis at $3.50
acre, with no livestock or machinery thrown in.
The advertisements figuring in these two com
PARSONS were picked at random. But they are not
isolated instances. The higher 1926 values are ap
parent in any study of farm advertising.
Int lnnE - A.
64O-acre Morrison County stock farm, highly i'm
proved, offered at $25 an acre. Try to buy i
at that price now Hubbard County, Mimi
quarter-section offered in exchange fer goot
used automobile. At Palermo N. D., a 16O-acr
farm was offered in exchange for good stallion
The owner Ct quarter-section Ross, N. D.
wanted to trade for a secondhand threshn,
machine.
Instead Of dc!lars-and-cents shrinkage in North
west farm values, we find healthy increase. 'Th
committee, however, speaks of the present "pur
chasing power exchange value" of farm land
as being only 844 per cent of the 1913 value. If
means the farms value in terms of purchasin
power Of the FARMS output, the committee evidentl
is making its case by using as the present GRO
price average, the average for the last six years
| Which is hardly fair way to figure, the last ST.
years being water that has passed under the bridge
Just the other day we published CT this page pric
index analysis showing that the farm dollar ha
averaged par for the last year.
Right now the average price Of leading com
modities-things the farmer buys, as well thing
he sells-is SO per cent above the 1913 index. Blu
wheat is up 80 per cent from the 1919 price, corr
nearly 60 per cent, potatoes 400 per cent live poul
try 80 per cent, eggs around 40 per cent and hog
nearly so per cent.
] In view Of all this, why try to convince tn
farmer that his farm is worth less than in 1913
either jn dollars and CENTS in the s3eh9nfe valu
TT IL sptodqsts! Why fh)e)3fes m lk4ady OYER
worried farmer to take less for his place than III