The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-04-08
THE WHE4t sOFSlY.

THE HtlEAt SUPSLY.
Frsn ths Chlcaeo Inier-Oouzn.
On February 9th the Senate passed
q resolution asking the Secretary o.
State % report o. the Senate the infOF-
nation &C bis command In relation 70
oomneres between the United states
and foreign countries IN cereals. SIR.
BayaFd, Ia replying, says the eoDclu
siOns 20 be drawn from the statistics
collected by our consuls are:
/. The area under wheat culture Ia
European countries Russia exceptedl
ls stationary, and while low prices
prevail will probably retain is present
limits, and may even decline.
2. Europe, Russia excepted, requires
on an average IT4O00, 900 bushels OF
foreign wheat for the needs Of its pop
ulatiOn, and these needs become great
e. each year.
3. Russia and India are active com
petitOrs Of the United States only IN
der favorable conditions, and even
suppOsing them 10 be capable Of great
ly increasing their efforts, the situa-
ton IL not calculated to develop fur
theT capacities.
4. The South American countries
promise, 80 far as the imperfect Stats
ties e. hand show, 10 become the most
dangerous competitors that the United
States will meet In the wheat markets
Of the world, but in their present IN
developed condition they exert only q
moderate influence on those markets.
5. While these new countries pos
sess q great extent o territory now
unOccupied, but capable Of being de-
voted % wheat culture at a cost that Is
little mOss than nominal, there will
be an abundant supply Of wheat for
the worlds needs, aud with favorable
harvests prices will remain low.
8. Hostile tariffs Of wheat cOnsum-
ing countries have practically made
Great Britain the one market for
wheat, and have resulted In prices
lower than haye ruled for more than
q century Ia q market which controls
prices for the world.
Z. The influences tending 10 main
tain low prices are more active than
those which would, II acting alone,
result In higher prices
The population Of European eOun-
tries is constantly increasing. while
last year the whole crop fell on. Mr..
Bayard concludes that the home sup
ply Of wheat IN Europe is becoming
less able 70 meet home demand, and
that q continually increasing quantity
Of foreign wheat win be needed 70 feed
its population.
The statistics show that taking the
last ten years IS the basis for an aver
age, Europe, except Russia and the
Balkan provinces, consumes all the
wheat grown and about ia, 900, 900
bushels Of foreign wheat. This def
cheney In the supply is made gOc0
from the crops Of Russia, India, Aus
tralia, and North and South America;
and, with 90 many competing markets
to draw from, each has bowed from
year TO year under the natural laws OF
trade as well as under artificial influ-
enees imposed by the government as
well IS by individuals. The Russian
crop Is likely TO decline In volume.
The large exports IN the past few
wears have drawn severely on the
resources OF the country, while the
methods Of agriculture are such ss 70
make Il certSin that the competition
with other wheat countries cannot be
maintained. Nor does the Secretary
OF State think the conditions Of India
are to be regarded Es favorable TO tue
maintenance Of q sharp competition
with the United States.