Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
Newspaper Page Text
Secretary Wilson Describes Real Capitalists ana ffTinvrlirht. 1904 bv Frank fj. Carnenter.l l . IA81IINMTOX, April 7. (Special IV I Correspondence of The Uee.) I LLT I Lulled on HecretHrV Wilson to Ak some questions on capital and labor from the standpoint of the tanner. My Interview was held at the Department of Agriculture during the bus lent hour of the day, nt:d the secretary an swered rny questions between John. As he did iu I was surprised ut lils versatility. Ho Is like Napoleon lti that he tan do four things ut a time and do them all will. IIIh mind seemed to Jump nt a second's no tice from the pasture lamls of Dan to the grain llchls of lier.sheba, nnd when It landed It whs all thire. Now the qui s. ion. was the uppolntmcnt of h man to investi gate crop cipnilllliins In the Philippines, now the hi raiuvment of the new agilcul tural building to he put up at a cost of several million dollars, nnd now the im portation of a hug to wipe out the Han Jose scale and make our nrchardistn rich. At the Fame time great hunches of letters were brought In und the secretary read each one as he signed It. I starti-d out with: "Mr. Secretary, you work us though you had your coat off. You c laim to be the r preventative of the man with his coat off; 1 want to know what you think of that nianjn Ids rela tion to our hi combinations of capital?" "The only man with his coat off whom I know Is the farmer," replied Secretary Wilson. "With the ordinary lals.ror I have nothing to do. The farmer Is a big enough proportion for us here. We are work ng for him und although we look over the fence now and then ut the struggles of labor and capital, we keep on our way, uylng nothing a.- to anything- else, but steadily sawing wood." "Hut, Mr. Secretary, adapt my questions to the farmers What do they think of the gigantic trusts which, like Jonahs gourd, huve spiung tip In a night?" "They are anxious about them," replied tho secretary, "but It Is from an lnest ment standpoint They want to know whether they have a substantial bass, bow they are operated, what business they ure doing and whether they will keep on paying dividends. The fanners are Inter ested In the new Department of Commeiio anil Ial)or unit especially In Its bureau of corporations. If that bureau can give them as satisfactory Information about tho trusts as the treasury does about our national banks there will bo. no difficulty In their getting a fair share of tho farmer's money." "Hut, Mr. Secretary, I thought the far mer posed as a poor man. lie is a chronic whlner, a constant complainer, and he al wuys makes a poor mouth?" "That may have been so some years ago," replied Secretary Wilson. "It U not so now. Vou can't whlno on a full stomach, full burns und a full pocket book. That Is the condition of tho farmer today. lie Is growing rich. He has become a creditor in stead of n debtor. He is a capitalist hunt ing places to invest his Hurpltis. He has had good crops and good prices, and today hln deposits are rolling In like a golden tidal wave, flooding the western batiks with more money than they can handle. The local banks are Bending their millions to tho eust. and New York Is taking what they cannot lend out in the west. The farmers, not satisfied with American in vestments, are sending millions Into Can ada to buy lands there, and still they have money left. Indeed, what they want motit Is a safe place to put their surplus where It will bring them a fair rate of Interest." "What do you mean by a fair rate, Mr. Secretary ?" I asked. "Oh, about 5 per cent," replied Mr. Wll on. "That Is the best you can expect of money now." "Why don't they take tip their mort gages?" said I. "Not long ago it was said that the whole I'nlted States west of the Missouri was practically owned by the savings banks of New Kngland." "That Is riot so now," replied Secretary Wilson. "Those mortgages have been paid long ngo, and vast sums have been spent In Improving farms. There are mortgages still It Is true, but they have been given by the sons of the farmers, who are now buying; farms of their own." "Do you consider farm lands a good In vestment, Mr. Secretary?" "I do at tho present prices," was the re ply. "Investments differ according to lo calities, but any farm thut will now pro duce enough to carry itself, that Is, to pay Its taxes and a low rate of Interest, is a good purchase. Our public, land have been largely taken up. We are rapidly increas ing In population, and the domestic market steadily grows. We are now the greatest manufacturing nation on the globe and the domestic market of the future is be yond conception. As to the foreign market. It will always take what we cannot use ourselves. We are farming better every day. and the business of farming will be more profitable as time goes on. We have some of the best food lands on the globe, ml sre Just lieglnnlng to appreciate what they will produce." "Have you any Idea," said Secretary Wil son as he turned to his desk, picked up a pencil and made some figures on a slip of paper. "Hare you any Idea of the money TTnole Sam's farmer capitalists Wring Into this country every year? The Steel trust. i ' ' l ii mi i ! i mim , ii I. " " ' '-;t i-H i . ' A vv - '-A ' i JV :! MW. f U & i )MR. CAItPKNTEa INTERVIEWING SECRETARY WTLSON FOR THE BEl'i the Shipbuilding trust and all the other trusts are peanut stands in comparison with it. I don't mean what our farmer sell at home, but what they sell abroad. Tho amount it', so enormous you cannot comprehend It. "In the decade ending 1900 It was mora than J7,Uw.rw,0iiO, or on tho average tnora than 1700.000, 000 a year. In 1!K1 our farm exports amounted to more than $000,000,000, or almost W.fHJU.000 for every working day of the year. That means $12T.,OijO an hour, $2,000 a minute or $33 per second. Tfivery time watch ticked on every one of the days throughout that working year $33 worth of our goods were dropped Into the. lap, of Europe and three $10 gold pieces started on their way back to the United States. "That was In 1901," Secretary Wilson continued. "Last year our exports were almost as large, and so it is going on year after year. You may talk about your great combinations of capital, your gtgarv tic monopolies and enormous trusts, but after all, I'ncle Sam's most profitable asset Is the American farmer." "t;ive me some of the Items of thlsbnst ness of the farmers" trust, Mr. Secretary," said I. "The farmers are not a trust," said Sec retary Wilson, "and to give all the detail of their enormous business would require too much space. Still I can give you soma of tho items. Take cotton, for Instance. We got high prices for that last year. Our exports amounted to about 12,000,010 pounds a day, not Including Sundays, and our re ceipts wero about $1,000,000 a day, or a gTOss n mount of $.H7.0O0.O"O per year. Thle wns all cold, clean money brought Into the country for stuff sold abroad. "Our grain exports were $fi00.on0 a day. We pent 204.000.000 bushels of wheat rn4 almost half of that went In the shape of flour. We exported $17S.O00,0n0 worth of meat and enough beef and pork to have given evcrv man. woman and child of the whole world one-half pound and enough additional to have made a mess of hash for every one of them the next day. Those fig ures show you something of otir agricul tural Interests. The American farmer Is the backbone of the country. He is the biggest institution In It." "Rut last year and the year before have been the exceptions, Mr. Secretary. The crops have been much better than ever be fore." "Thrjt is true to a minor extent."" replied Secretary Wilson. "Rut for years the farmer has been bringing over foreign gold from Europe, Australia and Asia to even tip cur losses In other branches of trade. In the last thirteen years our average ex cess of exports over Imports amounted to about $.75 000.000 per year, and during that time the annual balance of such trade In favor of the farmer was $337,000,000, that Is, the farmer had not only to give the bal ance of trade in our favor, but he had to pay fi2.0OO,O00 In the shape of an adverse balance to other Imports. In the last four teen yenrs the farmers balance of trade amounted to almost $.000,000,000, It was enough to pay all the losses of our other foreign business and to put M.OOO.OOO.OiX), In round numbers, to the credit of the nation. Those figures give you some Idea where this wonderful wave of prosperity which has been sweeping over the couutry cornea from." ii A THE AMERICAN FARMER IS A CAPITALIST.' IX) MIL CARPENTER. -SECRETARY WILSON "Then, I suppose, that farming, as a busi ness, has begun to pay?" "It has always paid," replied Secretary Wilson, "when managed in a business-like manner. Rut the day has passed when you can tuke it up as a makeshift. The man who would make money In farming today must know his farm and how to farm It. He must know the nature of foods, and fertilizers. He must understand the mar kets and bring the same business Judgment to bear that is necessary to the success of Other businesses. Above all the farmer must Veep tip to the times and farm sci entifically, for It Is only In that way that be can get the most out of his land." "Will we ever have a great farmers' trust which will corner the market, raise prices and fight the other combinations of cap ital?" "I don't think such a thing possible," re plied Secretary Wilson. "This is a big eountry and farming Is a big business. All the world Is more or less engaged In It and you can't control elements like that. Re sides each farmer is Independent of the other, and while all have to a large ex teut ootnmoo Interests they are somewhat antagonistic to one another. I think the farmers might be united in opposition to anything vitally against tho interests of all, but that matter settled they would as be fore act as individuals." "Rut, Mr. Secretary, how about labor matters? I should think you would have trouble to get men to work on the farms. I understand that most of the farm boys are going to tho cities." "That was so for a time, but more now remain upon the farms. We have had a great immigration of farm laborers and we have been steadily making inventions in farm tools so that the average hand can do more now than the man of the past. Take the rice binds about the Oulf of Mexico. One American farm hand with our machinery can raise as much rice there in one year us Chinese laborers can raise in China, employing Chinese methods and Chinesu machinery. The conditions as to other crops are somewhat similar. Indeed, tbe farm machines enable us to dispense with a large number of hands." (Continued on Pago Mxteenj