Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-05-08


has all implied and incidental powers
necessary to carry out express powers, but
on what express power can the implication
of authority to lend money for local fairs
be based?
Thus far, it is very true, no serious OBJ
lection has been made to the charitable
requests of the Government, but that
the attempt will be some day made to
further partisan or religious ends by
means of charities thus extended is not
improbable, and when that time comes
we will be involved in serious difficulty.
Precisely similar difficulty, however, is far
more likely to result from these govern
mental loans to State and private enter
prises. The New Orleans fair has had the
patronizing sanction Of the Government,
but it is not Government enterprise. The
United States is not bound by it, or re-
sponsible for it, and in the Act of approval
| Congress distinctly disclaims all response
bilitv for it. The loan cannot, therefore,
| be justified on the ground that it is
governmental purpose The precedent,
then, is one Of a loan TO private enter
prise, and is hence a bad one. The New
Orleans fair should be encouraged. 1t will
be beneficial to the country. Several
foreign nations have recognized it already,
and appointed Commissions to it, and the
prospect for its success is fattering But
the only way to justify the use of Federal
funds for its aid is to make it Federal en-
terprise and give it over to Federal super
vision. This would not be strongly OBJ
jected to- Certainly if it is wise to lend
81 100000 from the Federal treasury to aid
it, it would be wiser 10 adopt ii, invest the
Sl,000O00 in it and let the Government
pocket the profits, ard avoid the dangerous
precendent Of becoming a money-lender.
-s >--
THE WHEAT QUESTION AGAIN.
The testimony of Sir james Caird-to
which we last week referred at length
upon the India wheat competition prob
lem, appears to have very nearly alayed
all fears in this country which were awak-
ened by the phenomenally large exports of
wheat by India in the last past two years.
Those exports have been accounted for,
and it is now clear that they were excep-
tional More lately the testimony of Sir
James has been fortified by the London
Times, which deplores the fact that in ten
years past we have sent to Great Britain
over S374, 08S, 800 values Of products Of our
soil. At the same time the thunderer adj
mits that there Is not the remotest proba-
bility of England seeking by protection to
exclude us. Indeed, it inclines to the be-
lief that our shipments must increase, for
it says that all the evidences point to the
regularity and certainty of the increase
OF our produce exports. 1t believes that
there is nothing in the way, or likely to
Interfere to prevent us, forty Years hence,
sending to the English S750,O00O00 value
Of food, or enough to supply the entire
population of the English islands But this
is, we must conclude, extravaganza, born
in some part of chagrin. for the Times adds:
"Supposing things to go on as they are
now, it certainly looks as if by that time
we might turn all Great Britain and Ire
land into dairies, parks, orchards and
kitchen gardens, leaving our butchers and
bakers to supply themselves from the United
States and our own colonies. The Chicago
Times takes up the theme and calls atten-
ton to one grave error of its London name
sake, the assumption that the price Will
always be remlmerative, for the English
Journal says our supply may be regarded
as something spontaneous without special
effort and enduring by laws of its own. A
falling British market viii not keep it at
home, for it must be turned into money at
any sacrifice" As the Chicago paper init
mates, it is folly to suppose the Yankee
nation will grow produce for the mere
" fun Of selling it at sacrifice. The same
rule that governs the self-interest of the
iron-maker5 Of England will control the
produce-growers of America. Aside from
the very sensible suggestion Of our contem-
porary, that when the price for our surplus
falls below cost, production will be short
ened, it may be added that when it falls
below the production Of fair profit it will
cease. 1t is also to be taken into account
that our own population will in all prob
ability increase the home demands dispro-
portionately to the increase Of wheat-grow-
ing in the forty years upon which the
London Times specrlateS, and that there Is
no class Of agricuIturist, in the world who
can so readily or speedily adapt themselves
to change in products, and who can 50
safely undertake to become Independent of
cat-growing as those of America.