The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-05-12
FOREIGN WHEAT.

1t will be remembered, that two or
three weeks since TIE FREE PRESS
made mention of the presence in
Washington or Mr.. C. A. Pillsbury,
of Minneapolis, who appeared before
the Ways and means committee in be-
half of the milling interests, asking II
suspension of tax on imported wheat
that is made into -four for expectation.
The proposition to go away from home
10 bring in Il product that of all others
is the most staple. and that, too,
without duty, has aroused the ideas
of General J ii. Baker. and in Sd.
turday's Pioneer Press we find an ex.
lanstible article from the pen of the
General reviewing the result of such
Il procedure upon the price of Amcri-
can grown wheat, in effect claiming
that it would injurc our market and
derresS prices.
One of the arguments used by Mr..
Pillsbury before the committee was.
that there is not enough wheat in
the American Northwest TO supply
our mills Taking the last year or
two as II basis upon which TO draw
this conclusion, Mr.. Pillsbury stated
the truth. Take the mills of the
Northwest as 4 whole, and they have
not been running on more than two.
thirds time, and the loss that must of
necessity result from closing down
such large mills rs we have, and the
consequent locking up of II vast
amount of capital. is q matter of no
small moment. The mills of Mime
sofa have an established reputation
throughout all quarters of the globe
for manufacturing the best flour in
the world, and this reputation has
been brought about by using nothing
but the best quality of wheat grown.
Mr.. Baker remarks, and truthfully,
that "the past season was an excep-
tional one for quality; the quantity
will not fail to keep pace with the
mill development" 1t matters not
what the quantity may be; if the
quality is not up to the standard, the
mills cannot retain their present
enviable fame for producing eXcep-
tionally fine flour.
In the course of his letter, Mr..
Baker understandingly admits that
this wheat will come into the coun-
try under seal, and the flour will be
exported from New York under seal.
1t can't be sold in the United States
for consumption" All the wheat
grown in the Canadian Northwest
must be manufactured into flour, and
if it cannot be worked up here it will
be taken TO Europe and there trans
muted. AS the supply and demand
controls the market. it would seem to
make very little difference with the
prices OF our American product
whether the Manitoba wheat is made
into flour here or transferred across
the waters and there made, for Ger.
tain it is that American wheat will
find competition in any event, and so
also will it WELD Il salient influence
over the markets of the world.
But these remarks are not brought
out in any particular AS opposing Gen.
Bakers views. If the position he
takes is sound logic, and if the ahmiS-
sion of foreign wheat into competi-
ton with our domestic product is tn
any extent destined to work injury -
the producing classes of America.
Congress should, and we helieve will,
protect the American producer from
possible antagonistic competition.
Did space permit, we should take
pleasure i'll publishing Mr.. Bakers
letter in full. but owing to its extreme
length, are necessarily prevented.