The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1885-09-18
India Wheat Competition.

contains lengthy and exhaustive examination
Of the India wheat question in all its bearings,
fren the pen of gentleman resident at GOV
ernmeAt station in India, who, it is claimed,
was supplied with every facility for obtaining
accurate Information. This paper should be
carefully read and studied by every one inter
ested in the production of wheat in the United
States, as it throws much light upon quss-
tion that is becoming Of paramount import
anco to the farmers of the Northwest, and one
that is but little understood by the bsst in
formed authorities in England or the United
States. From lengthy editorial review Of
this paper, we make the following liberal ex-
cerpts, which will serve 10 give eur readers All
idea Of the scope Of the article:
aside from its interesting recital of the
methods OF life and work in India, we are eon-
cerned chiefly with the statistics, from whieh
alone wo can draw any inferencss as to the
quarter. 1t is understood by all that the soil
and climate Of India are favorable, destructive
storms and droughts excepted, to the culture
of cereals A rich alluvial formation supplies
abundant nutriment and makes profitable the
rude methods Of cultivation still followed by
people Of primitive habits. The total wheat
acreage for the present season is put at over
27,G00,00O acres. This is more than half of
the estimated total area available for wheat
culture in all the provinces. The increase over
last season is more than III, 900 acres. The to-
tai yield Of the last crop was nearly O,0O0.0vO
bushels This is q little more than oAe-haf Of
the largest crop ever produced in tho United
States; and, yielded by country whore other
cereals form the staples Of consumption, it rep
resents factor Of tremendous importance in
the foreign market. The export Of wheat has
increased steadily and enormously. In 1s79-SO
it was but 900 tons. That figure was more
than multiplied by three the next season, and
that product almost trebled in the following.
In 1SS3-S4 the export reached 1,Q47,S24 tons
and this year IL 10 roughly estimated at Ii, ,00O,-
600 tons, or about $4,000, 00G bushels. The
great bulk of it went to those countries which
have beon the chief customers of the United
States, England taking regularly about one
half of the whole amount. If the ratio Of in
creased production and export he maintained,
it would not be many years before the demand
Of England would be principally supplied from
her Indian empire, while other European coun-
tries would ind their deficits replenshed from
the same source. This is the realty Of Indian
competition.
'The next consideration, Of course, is the
terms Of that competition. How do cost Of
production and cost Of transportation to tho
worlds market compare between India and
America? AS to cost Of production, the in
equality is less than is csmmenly supposed 1t
is the general impression that since India is
practically titled by slave labor, since the ma
tives live on the eoarsest food, wear The seanti-
est clothing, are the subjects Of an arbitrary
government, and arc content with five cents AZ
the wages Of days labor, Thai is'ieosts but
few cents ,lsts Ia piSduceEa bushel Of wheat.
This Is always al error. The condition of ig-
norance and serfage are never in the end the
conditions Of cheapest production. The In
dian farmer pays to the government a tax on
his land per acre TIVE or three times as great a.
the first cost Of land offered to tho settler by
the United States government. His little farm
must be insaare,t and irrigated, the latter
large and Indispensable item. The estimate
made for wheat crop is a cost Of $10.62 per
acre where an average yield is seventeen bush.
els. This gives the cost Of production little
more than 10 cepts per bushel, which is cor
ta,niy az much as the cost Of production on
small farms in the Northwest, probably little
more. ThiS is certainly exceptional On the
average, cost Of production in the United
States is from 80 to 100 per cent per bushel
greater than in India The American farmer
will not be satisfied with the insigninsant mar
gin Of profit allowed to his far-away competi-
tor and the profits Of niddlemen, together
with the great distances to bs Travelled to the
primary markets, add new items Of expense.
So that bushel OF wheat at Chicago repre-.
sents at least 80 per cent more of value than a
bushel at Delki. Next as to getting it to the
consumers market. The British government
has constructed an immense railroad systela in
India. But it Aid this not fof. sweet eharity's
sake, bst for tangible profits, Hence Indian
railWa az freghts are as high as American,
while the cost Of the long ocean voyage is
nearly three times that Of transportation across
the Atlantic. Summing all these figures and
reducing results to the terms Of American
weight and value, the estimate of the writer
is that bushel Of Indian wheat can be sold ip