The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, November 1, 1920, Page 5

Rea o { influenes we exert, not only in the grain and allied industries, but in the influsnce we have for the past several years exercised in Washingbon.” The grain dealers gave a number of different ex- ~cuses for the lewered price of wheat and other farm products. The favorite excuse was the im- portation of Canadian wheat. However Doctor R. Magill, represemting the Winnipeg grain dealers, declared that this was not true. - He pointed out that Canadian importatiens amounted to about 7,000,060 to0.8,000,000 bushels, or only 1 per cent of the total American erop, and that while Canada had not sent any corn, eotton or tobacco into the United States these prices had declined as much- as wheat ‘or more. ‘ ‘ The grain dealers tried to win the support of the _ public by claiming that the lowered prices of wheat would bring the people cheaper bread. Minneapolis bakers ' interviewed during the convention stated, however, that bread would remain at 12 cents. The grain dealers started a new drive against the Nonpartisan league. Asher Howard, member of the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, issued- just be- fore the meeting of the association a 128-page book attacking the League, intended for general circula- tion in Minnesota. To place this book in the hands of every voter in Minnesota will cost the grain deal- ers’ combine between $200,000 and $300,000, ; However, this- is a small amount compared to " what the “bear” speculators have made from the re- cent drop in prices of wheat and other grains. Doc- tor Henrik Shipstead, Nonpartisan league candidate for governor of Minnesota, estimates that the loss . of Minmesota farmers alone from the drop in prices is $70,000,000.. -—-Di'fim expressly for the Leader by W. C. Morris. The grain dealers imported Congressman John 3. . Bsch of Wisconsin to address. them. Congressman Esch was author of the notorious Esch-Cummins law, returning the railroads to private owners and guaranteeing them minimum profits of 6 per cent. Esch was defeated for renomination by J. D. Beck, Leaguer, in the recent Wisconsin primary, by more than 3,000 votes. Esch, while striving desperately to defend the operations of the railroads under pri- vate ownership, admitted that the car shortage was greater than it had been under government control. He also admitted that the railroads had been forced to return to a system of unified operation, first in- stalled under government control. “If private ownership fails, government owner- ship will be the only alternative,” Esch said. While the grain dealers were in session the First National bank of Minneapolis, in an economic re- view distributed to its clients and business houses of the Northwest generally, suggested that more Canadian wheat be bought and imported into the United States, which would have a ttndency to equalize existing differences in exchange and also to further lower the price of American wheat. While importations of Canadian wheat have had a comparatively small effect on the market to date, as against market manipulations, it is admitted that a general importation movement, backed by all the banking interests of the Northwest, would complete the ruin of the American farmer. What the United States Census Shows -~ Farm Population Has Decreased in Last Ten Years Because Farming Is No Longer a Profitable Business . ' BY E. B. FUSSELL HE United States census of 1920 shows that the population of the 48 states {without counting Alaska, Hawaii, the Philippines or ether possessions) is 105,683,108. Ten years aga we had in the same territory 91,972,266 people. Twenty years ago we had 75,994,5675. Thirty years ago the figure was only 62,947,714. And in 1880— 40 years ago—the population of the United States wss only 50,156,783, e Thus we have more than doubled the population in 40 years. We have for the first time passed the 100,000,000 mark. Yet there is not the rejoicing that might have been expected—not nearly so much as there was 10 years ago. ; Why is this? - Because the census figures show that the United States is in an unhealthy condition. For the first “time in the history of the United States the farm- ing population shows a decrease. While the total poepulation has increased, it means. enly that-many ‘more hungry mouths for a smaller number of farm- ers to feed. . - In 1890, for the first time, the census bureau di- vided the pepulation of the United States into three classeg—residents of places of mere than 2,560 populatien (the cities), residents of incerporated places of less than 2,500 populatien (the tewns) and residents ef unincorporated places (the country). Beginning with 1890, this is what the census has shown the population ef these divisiens to be: City Town Country Year population population = pepulation 1890 22,720,228 4,719,835 35,507,656 1900 . 80,797,185 6,247,645 -38,949,745 1910 42,623,383 8,118,826 41,230,058 1920 54,816,209 = 9,864,196 41,002,708 For a better comparison let us combine the city and i town pepulations and notiee the change in the per- centage of the total population by 10-year perieds: City and town Country Year population Pct. pepulation Pct. 13%0 27,440,058 43 35,507,656 57 1900 87,044,830 48 38,949,745 52 1910 50,742,208 55 41,280,658 45 1920 64,680,405 62 41,002,763 38 In the 30 years frem 1890 to 1920 $he ¢ity and town population of the United States has increased 87,240,347—mearly 140 per cent. In the same time the farm population has increased omly 5,495,947— a little more than 15 per cent. As lately as 20 years ago the farmers of the United States weve more than half of the total .populatien. Teday they are only a little mere than one-third. : Notice what has happened in the last 10 years. There is an actual loss of more than 200,000 farm- ers—while at the same time the population of the cities and towns increased 15,000,000. Where have the missing 200,000 farmers gone? To the cities and towns, largely. Many have emi- - grated to Canada, attracted by the cheap lands pro- vided by the government, the ready-made farms, ~° the publicly owned elevator system and the cheap government hail insurance. HEAVIER BURDEN IS LAID UPON EACH FARM FAMILY But even if the farm population had remained unchanged, while the city and town populations were increasing 15,000,000, a vastly greater burden would have been laid upon the food producers. A farm family consists of approximately five peo- ple. In round numbers, therefore, there were a lit- tle more than 8,000,000 farm families in the United States 10 years ago-and there are approximately the same number today. 7 Ten years ago these farm families had to produce enough food for themselves and for 50,000,000 non- food producers, who lived in the cities and towns. This year a slightly smaller number of farm fami- lies has to produce food for 15,000,000 additional non-food producers. Ten years ago the average farm family produced food for themselves:-and for six other persons. To- day the average farm family has to produce enough food for themselves and for eight other persons. Is it any wonder that every member of the farm family, from the father to the youngest tot who ought to be in school, has to labor harder and through longer hours to support this added burden ? Is it any wonder that thousands of farmers every year are giving up the struggle, moving into the -cities or towns, or into Canada, as the census shows ? . : Where is it going to stop? How is the country to get an ample food supply to support a population that is increasing at the rate of 15,000,000 people every 10 years? . How else but by making farming a profitable-line of business? HOW POPULATION IS GETTING TOP HEAVY 1390 . AT e 1200 DT CITIES - This diagram shows at #ghmce the changes 1920 OR % 1910 ' S5 et CITIES in the different classes of the population of the United States in the last 30 years. In 1890 57 per cent of the people lived in the country and only 43 per cent in the ‘cities and towns. 'The United States was on a safe and sound basis. But today only 38 per cent of the ' people live in the country and 62 per cent in the cities and towns, The popu- PAGE FIVE lation of the mation is getting top heavy. o