The sun., 1880-02-01
An Engiishman,s Report from the West

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probable displacement Of our food staples
In the markets Of the world by the superior
productive capacity Of Canada. Mr.. j. w.
BARCLAY, M. p, has been at the pains to
study this question at first hand, and, after
journey through our Western States as
far as Colorado, he has given his English
constituents q statement Of the facts. The
British farmer will be likely to extract but
cold comfort from his conclusions, but they
are interesting to us, as being the frank ad-
missions OF a skilled and unbiased observer.
lie points out that the notion recently ad
vanced at some public meetings In England,
that the supply of American produce will
fall off, is based on an expectation OF an in
crease In the cost Of transport and OF the
inability Of our Western farmers, in the face
OF an increasing homo demand to grow
wheat at the present prices. Mr.. BARCLAY
is convinced that all such expectations will
prove delusive. He has no doubt from his
personal observations, that wheat will con-
tinue to be raised in our prairie States at
rates with which the British farmer cannot
pretend to compete. He has noted the preg-
nant fact that tho bulk Of our crops does
not come, as is the case in England,
from farming capitalists, who are at liberty
to choose more remunerative Investment,
but from q multitude Of small farmers who
own the land they till. In our grain-growing
States the farm Is the cultivator's home, as
well as his means Of livelihood, and he can
not abandon 1t merely because wheat falls
below what q grain speculator would con-
slider q paying price. OF course the farmer
will produce the article that he finds to pay
best, but some produce he must raise In
order to get the necessary comforts OF life. III
he can only sell enough wheat or beef or
cheese to procure clothes and groceries for
his family, he is sure, at all events, of a good
subsistence. He Is not trammelled by the
heavy rents which the British farmer must
pay the land owner, and which, OF late
years, the latter has found 1t well nigh i'm
possible to meet without serious inroads
upon his capital.
Mr.. BARCLAY seems to be much better ac-
quainted with the conditions of transport in
this country than are the majority OF his
countrymen. He remarked that freights last
spring were very low, measured even by an
American standard, but some calculations
convinced him that our railways, without
ceasing to pay dividends, can afford to take
freight at rates that would not be remunera-
tive in England. He finds, for example,
that the Union Pacific carries cattle between
points where there is no competition
at half the through rates charged in Great
Britain. He is alive, also, to tho large and
increasing extent to which the movement Of
grain from the whcat-growing districts is
effected by water communication He warns
his countrymen that the completion OF the
Weland Canal, coupled with the improve
to ba aJ Tor n, ct.
will probably entail even lower rates Of car
| riage in the future than In the past. He
cannot, therefore, bring himself to think
that British farmers have seen the last of
| American competition, or that the lowest
point OF agricultural depression resulting
| from that source has yet been reached.
| Another mistaken impression, which Mr..
BARCLAY corrccts, relates to the supposed
| prevalence of disease among American cat
tie which, as our producers know, has given
rise to some British orders in Council detri
mental to ther business. Mr.. BARCLAY
sees but little hope of change in these
regulations until farmers or mercantile
men in England insist on having some per-
sons in their Government who have some
practical knowledge OF agricultural and
| commercial interests. His inquiries on this
subject were toerably exhaustive, and their
result was, he tells us, that there has never
been any cattle disease in our Western States
He points out that cattle from that quarter
might pass into Canada from Detroit or Port
Huron, and could thence be carried to Eng
land without ever coming within hundreds
OF miles OF any place where disease has ex-
listed. Mr.. BARCLAY thinks the only hope
for the British grazier is in getting these
| cattle for fattenlng at home. He cannot
compete with the American stock keeper in
the earlier stages OF meat production. but
in the last stage OF all-the fattenng for the
market, which is at present done in Illinois
and other corn-growing areas-the
British farmer has facilities which, in
Mr.. BARCLAYS opinion, would en-
able him to distance his American
rival. But here his own Government steps
in. and, under the pretext OF averting dis
ease, prohibits the importation OF store cat
tie for the grazier while it admits cattle al
ready fattened for the butcher. This state
Of things, we are told, Is brought about by a
few English breeders Of live stock who have
the ear OF the authorities. But the great
body OF British agricultursts want cheap
store cattle, and, as they are now in
formed by one OF their own country
men, they can have them, both cheap
and healthy, from the natural breeding
grounds in the West In North Park,
Colorado, Mr.. BARCLAY saw drove OF cattle
that had been sold to Chicago dealers at
$3.50 head, and were going to Illinois to
be fattened for the English market. They
will reach Liverpool, ready for the butcher,
early in 1880, when they will be readily sold,
even in these bad times, for 500 head,
yielding net profit of $25 over all expenses
Mr.. BARCLAY suggests to his friends at home
that this sum OF $25, secured by the i'm
provement in the condition of the animals,
might be transferred to the pockets OF
British farmers, il their Government, in
stead of maintaining an absurd embargo on
store cattle, would put itself to little
trouble and exercise little common sense
A Baptist Young Lady on Dancing.
J The Baptist Young Lady" who wrote to
The sun on Thursday disagrees with the