Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1896 — FARMERS’ LOSSES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FARMERS’ LOSSES.

ANNUAL VALUES SHRINK OVER A BILLION DOLLARS. staple Crops and Live Stock Arc - Equally Injured—Distressful Result a of a Democratic Administration— Farmers Cannot Bay Mill Products, A Change Demanded. We here give briefly a summary of the aggregate losses to farmers in the value of their principal crops, and in their live stock, since 1892: Total values, v 1891. 1895. Corn, bu .. $830,439,228 $507,509,106 Wheat, bu 513,472,711 237,938,998 Rye, bn,.. 25,542,000 11,964,820 Oats, bu .. 232,312,267 163,655,068 Cotton, bu 297,377,014 259,104,640 Hay, ton .. 411,110,000 393,185,615 Potatoes, bu * 83,475,000 78,984,901 Wool, 1b... 52,258,256 26,486,705 Barlfty, bu. 40,500,000 29,312,413 Buckwheat, bu ...... 6,948,000 6,936,325 Tobacco, lb 40,000,000 35,574,000 Totals . .$2,539,434,476 $1,810,712,597 Annual loss on crops in four years 1«. .$728,721,879 Depreciation in live stock values: Total values. •Tan. 1,1892. Jan. 1,1890. Sheep $116,121,270 $65.167.735 Swine ..... 241,031,415 186,529,745 Mil eh cows. 351,378,132 363,955,545 Other cattle. 570.749.155 508,928,410 Horse's”.... 1,007,593,036 500,140,180 Mules ..... 147,552,070 103,204,457 Total values . ..$2,401,755,078 $1,727,920,084 Annual loss on live stock in four years ......... .. .. .$733,829,594 Annual loss on crop% in four years 728,721,879 Total annual loss to fanuefs ..... ..,,. .$1.462.55L473 r This stupendous loss of nearly a billion and a half dollars has fallen upon American farmers since the McKinley tariff period of 1891 and 1892. It takes no account of the shrinkage In the value of the rice crop, erf the crops of nurserymen, of seedmen, or of the enormous supply of farm truck from market gardens, or of our dairy products or hog products. It is noteworthy that the aggregate nnmial shrinkage in values is practically the same for live stock as for the staple farm crops. This is interesting because many were inclined to attribute the losses in the value of live stock to some extraneous causes, whereas the fact that both live stock and staple crops have suffered equally only tends to strengthen the belief in llie ruinous effect of the “deadly blight” of Democracy upon American farms. Farmers are well aware of the disaster that has befallen them since 1892, and the cause of it. They have looked back with regret to the era of our greatest prosperity under the protective tariff that bears the name of Hon. William McKinley. They have felt the effects of a lower tariff—a Democratic tariff, with its “touch” of free-trade upon our sheep and wool industries. They know that they need a restoration of the McKinley tariff rates upon tlieir own products, and upon all other products and manufactures of the United States. Nothing less than this will restore to the farmer the conditions of 1890 to 1892. -They demand; they insist upon; and they will, vote for, n a v-to \ T rvnftnv I\ah n as n 4-n >■ tlv a t TYUVtMiI UL I , It rtrS turUu ulx ul U tax iff policy that will not give less protection to American farmers than the McKinley tariff did, because they vyaiit, and are in need of, a return to the McKinley protection period nnd its prosperity. They demand similar American statesmanship. Nothing less will satisfy them.

Free Wool Results,’ The New York Press has made some inquiries among New England woolen mills with the idea of showing their condition now, as compared with a year ago., The following is the result: Total mills affected 32 Mills shut down 14 Mills on quarter time 10 • Mills on eighth time. 5 Mills on half time 1 Mills practically closed 2 Operators practically idle 7,500 Estimated annual wages of . these operators one year ag0..53,000,000 Estimated annual wages of operators to-day 375,000 Loss to the country in wages. . 2,025,000 Loss to tho country in native raw materials, say 0,000,000 These were all woolen mills that have “shut up with much cursing and execration of free-traders.” None of tho shoddy mills have “shut up.” They are busy making the best possible product they can that will compete with the looms In the British rag shops. Free trade in raw wool is closing American woolen mills, while it promotes the industry of the European rag picker and of the British shoddy shops. What the Farmer Wants. What does the farmer want? When Providence has sent him rain and sunshine in season then he wants a commerce as near as possible to the fields of products, and the nearer he can get tho better customer he Is. If xve should ask the farmers which they would rather Rave beside them, another farmer or a factory, every one would vote for a factory. Why? Because the factory gives employment to men and to women who don’t raise their own products, and must buy the farmer’s. Demand for Statesmanship. Representative Grosvenor said, In speaking of the present condition of national political affairs, jthat “there never was a time in the history of the United Sffies wFen'Tfiere was greater demand for Republican statesmanship than there is now. Whether this Congress will be able to achieve anything 1 do not know, but I do know that the

Honseof with Its great Republican majority, has already made an impression upon the business of the This is true. Whatever the present Congress shall be able id<>* the people are confident that the free trade party in Mils country has reached the end of its power to work destruction to American industries. The Gorman tariff act may remain for the present inviting ruinous competition to American industries, but its doom is Sealed; the hours of its life of destructive work-arc becoming less and less.

On Jan. 1,1892, the market price of No. 2 Milwaukee barley was 57% cents a bushel. Granulated sugar was quoted at 4 cents a pound the same day, therefore a bushel of barley was worth 14% pounds of sugar. Four years later. Jan. 1, 1890, barley was worth 32% cents and sugar 5 cents. The farmer’s bushel of barley could be exchanged for only 6% pounds of sugar. Not Good Business Policy. It is not good business poliey, putting the ease mildly, to depend upon bond issues to supply the current expenses. Nor Is it good political policy to let things alone until the next election in order to give the people a chance to express their preferences. Whatever the result of the balloting next November, it will require thirteen months for the Congress then chosen to get to work, and a longer time to produce results. If anything is to be done to afford more revenue to a needy treasury, now is the time to do it, and it should be done on national, not partisan, lines.—Evening Star, Washington, D. C. Clothes for “Farmers and Artisana.*'

How far local firms are justified in producing a showy but half-worthless cloth that will be sold to the American retail buyers—farmers, artisans and the like—is another matter. The possibility even a few years ago of manufacturing a cloth at Is. 6d. per yard was scouted, but to-day there are makers to bo found able to produce good-looking masses of the poorest shoddy, kept in form by low cotton warp, at From Is. 3d. per yard.—Manchester (Eng.) Guardian. The Old Hardware Store. Let the old men, if their memories go back to 1800, recall the old hardware store, and they will recall that on tho shelves 95 per cent, came from England and 5 per cent, were produced in the United States. Let them go into the hardware store of 1892, and they will find that upon the shelves of that hardware merchant 5 per cent, is from abroad, 95 per cent, made at home l>y American workingmen. Yes, made in American shops by American workingmen from American raw ma-i tcrial.—Hon. Win. McKinley. Industry of the Sheriff, Business failures in the United Statt > fuly maintain the ratio of commercial embarrassments reported of late, with a total of 282 for six business days end-, ing with March 12, compared with 27Q in the preceding week, 262 In the coiy responding week one year ago, 231 dij. the second week of March, 1894, 221 in the corresponding week of 1893, and with 218 in the like week in 1892.—Brack street's. X Rays on X Roads.