Show r P Prosperity f for r All ll Meredith Predicts i y By E. E T. T MEREDITH Publisher and arid Former Secretary of i Agriculture A careful charting of the number of business failures in the United States each year from 1866 to 1924 compared with a chart showing the return to the farmers of the country an acre of or terms in dollars and cents pr proves ns conclusively that whenever the farmers have received an average increase of ot 1 an acre in Ia any season business failures are much fewer during the following I ye year r. r I On the other hand whenever the I farmers receive as little as 1 an I Iacre acre less for their crops taking every acre in the United States business failures for the ensuing twelve months increase I I have as much confidence In this chart as I 1 have ha In the expectancy of the life Insurance companies FARM FARMER ER STARTS DOLLAR MOVING The readjustment of or the farmers farmer's business Is nearly completed In four years ears the total farm Income has Inci increased eased at the rate of ot one and one-half one billion dollars each year from twelve billion In 1921 to sixteen sixteen sixteen six six- teen billion in 1923 and to seventeen seventeen seventeen seven seven- teen and one half billion in 1924 This Increase In spending money money Is distributed in all farm sections with the larger part of ot the Increase going to farmers in the Northern states extending from Ohio to Ne Ne- braska There being approximately five hundred red million io a acres rs of ot farmed I I land in the United States this in increased increased increased in- in creased income for 1924 gives the farmers an additional 3 an ace acte over 1923 x There is no question in my mind mina that so so far as fundamental conditions conditions condi condi- are concerned business during the next twelve months will show an increased activity I Agriculture being fundamental I when the farmer spends a dollar in m town he starts a chain of ot purchases purchases purchases pur pur- chases In the city which determines s sI the volume of ot city business i tt o If It the new new wealth taken from th the soil soU In a given season gives to farmers farm tarm- ers a larger purchasing power than the year previous It is nto the aggregate ag aggregate ag- ag ag- ag amount of ot these purchases on the farmers farmer's p part rt that makes the volume of ot business but It is the series of ot trades trades' which It causes in the city WILL AFFECT ALL LINES The farmer has his dollar but once but he city man roan passes passes' It through five six or seven hands gOing go going go- go ing from th ere tall purchaser to the re retailer aner from the retailer to the gO wholesaler ler wholesaler salEr to tu the manu manu- manufacturer to th the manu manu-I t 1 Ia- Ia I Dorer and anu laborer back to the the re taller It Is only when some pos sessor of ot the dollar spends it tor for food that the chain Is broken For this reason the total purchasIng purchasing pur pur- chasing power of ot farmers is a factor factor fac fac- tor of ot the most vital Importance to business and labor they are both to be congratulated that for the year eat 1924 the farmers of ot America will have considerably more purchasing pur pur- pur chasing power in other words more means to start hese chans of purchases purchases pur pur- chases than the they have had In any recent year Reports of sales from distributors of ot merchandise In farm sections show that farmers farmers' have already started the ball rolling Tills This new buying energy will naturally retard the tendency to depression In large centers My prediction Is for increased business in all lines for at least the first six months of 1925 and andI I base It wholly upon p p ri n the the Increased purchasing pur put I chasing power of ot the farmer |