The Portland daily press., 1883-03-30
A New Competitor

In 1879 the British government employed
DR.. Forbes Watson to investigate the facts
regarding the production and expectation Of
wheat in India, aud he found that there was
enough raised in that country to supply the
English market. BY reason of the lack of
elevators to store 1t. however, and of rail-
roads to transport it, great portion of the
crop was lost every year, and the Hindoo.
raising what would in the Mississippi valley
insure comfort and plenty, was in danger of
starvation during one part of the year for
want of market or storehouse for his grain
in another part.
The competition of Indian with American
wheat has lately been under discussion IN
the council at Calcutta, and it is announced
in pamphlet on the grain problem pub
lished there that the rates of transportation
on railways from the north of Bombay are
TO be Immediately reduced ISL per cent.
This win effect reduction of from four to
five cents in the cost of bushel of Indian
wheat when it reaches Liverpool. 1t is
claimed by the press and government of In
dia that 1t has heretofore only been the high
cost of carriage from the Hindoo wheat
fields to the English port that has prevented
the Indian wheat from underselling the
American, and continued Efforts have been
made-and it appears with some measure Of
success-to have this obstacle in some way
put aside.
The difference in the railroad facilities Of
the two countries is sufficiently striking, for
India with 255,0o0, 900 of people has only
10000 miles of railway, while the United
States with not much more than one-afth Of
the population has more than ten times the
length of railroads. In spite OF all her dis
advantages, however, the exports Of India
have increased from 637. 900 cwt. in 1872 to
1o,s6S, $40 cwt. in 1882, and this means a
competition to which our western wheat
growers will need to give some attentions
1t is stated that wheat costing 40 cents a
bushel TO raise in Dakota can be produced In
India at from Is to 20 cents. and that so far
as ocean freights are concerned, India is at
no Disadvantage. Wheat has heretofore
gone in large quantities from San Francisco
TO Liverpool, with a higher freight than is
charged from Calcutta or Bombay From
New York to London freight is lower than
from India, but not enough lower to balance
the excess in the price of American grain
where it is raised over The price Of Indian
grain where it is raised. It is the compare
tive cheapness of American railroad trans
portation by private corporations over Indian
railroad transportation under control OF the
government, that has enabled the American
farmer to compete successfully with the
Hindoo in the English market The Indian
railroads are trunk lines with few stations
and no feeders. The native highways are
so bad that every 20 miles of hauling adds
three cents bushel to the cost of wheat,
and the railroad rates average more than
three times as high as on the great through
lines in this country, being in no case less
than one and half the usual American
rates.
The present scheme is for the government
to assist the ryot in the culture Of his crop
by aiding him in obtaining good seed, in bor-
rowing money at less rate Of interest
wherewith to make his crop. and by erecting
elevators on the American plan to take the
place of the big earthen jars in which the
Hindoo has stored his wheat from prekietor-
ic ages down to the present day.
s,>saaN-fss-Pssss tfvsss aszsasas.t -
much less than their movers expect, and tbs
Hindoo may not be able to lay down whear
In Liverpool at price that will AFFECT III,
market of the farmers in Dakota and Mime
sofa; but the movement is a significant ont
nevertheless, and it is easy to see how il
may change the prevailing currents OF The
wheat trade of the world