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'Plight of the Farmers' is Quite Common in History The "plight of the farmers" is son and C. E. Morse, 187 acres, $13,common phenomenon in the history of 704.16, judgment entered. America. Agricultural depressions The Prudential Insurance Co. of have occurred with increasing freAmerica vs. W. Apfel at al, 136 quency since the passing of the fronacres, judgment entered. tier, and the problem has, of course, John B. Gallagher, receiver of the chiefly centered in the Middle Chicago Joint Land Bank vs. Dan the great food laboratory of the naStiles et al, 200 acres, tion. The story is told in the NovemThe First National bank of Chicago, ber issue "The Palimpsest,' the Ill., vs. George A. Carney et al, 243 monthly publication of the State Hisacres, $12,968.66. torical Society of Iowa. The Equitable Life Assurance soDuring the eighties, increased prociety Oscar Smith et al, 128 acres, duction with its attendant competition for markets caused the price of John Pries VS. Henry Koehn and grains to fall. This development was wife, city home, $2,889.81, judgment accompanied rather naturally by an entered. increase in farm tenancy indebtThe Equitable Life Assurance edness. By 1890 tenants constituted ciety Alma Oelhschlager et al, 200 almost 30 per cent of Iowa's farm acres, $16,964.21. families. Furthermore, farmers Th Equitable Life Assurance cupying encumbered farms in their Caroline Schellhorn, 120 ciety name made up an additional acres, per cent. That farm indebtedness was The Equitable Life Assurance somounting is also evidenced by the fact ciety vs. Henry Henning et al, 80 that during the decade prior to 1890 acres, $6,831.80. half million mortgages were The First Nashua State Bank, cuted to an amount of more than oneNashua, Ia., VS. Cora J. Persons et fifth of the estimated value of the 82 acres, $4,000. land, including improvements. One Anna Buhmann VS. W. F. Knief estimate in 1890 was that 47 per cent et al, 120 acres, of the taxed land in the state was The Prudential Insurance Co. of mortgage. America Gustav Pries, executor of The belief was current among the the estate of Carl W. Pries, deceased, farmers that the depression was due 200 acres, $15,941.70, judgment in large measure combinations, entered. such as meat packers, the union stock Andrew, Supt. of Banking, yards, the line elevator companies, and and as receiver of the Farmers Savthe railroads. Thus was the farmer ings Bank, Van Horne, Ia., affected as seller. As buyer, the Chapman et 120 acres $10,470, farmer had to contend with the barbed judgment entered. "syndicate," the binder twine John Hancock Mutual Life Insurand the farm machinery ance Co. VS. F. A. Robinson, Ameri"combine." In addition he believed can Savings bank, Tripoli, 320 acres, that the insurance "interests" also $12,964.68. discriminated against him. A. Van Valkenburg, trustee of the That rural dissatisfaction would in Joseph K. Oren estate, VS. Mary Riley, democracy turn into political chanE. B. Eggleston and Mrs. E. B. Egnels was natural and inevitable. The gleston, 262 acres, $8,742.72, judgment Populist party was the answer. Many remedies for the economic ills were entered. The Equitable Life Assurance soof the currency, Murphy, administrator ciety vs. free coinage of silver, withdrawal of of the estate of Sophia Tonne, deprivileges from corporations, income 200 acres $12,200. taxation, government loans to liqui- ceased, al, The First Trust Joint Land Bank, date mortgages. The list seems of Chicago, III., VS. James Garvey and markably familiar in 1933.