The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1891-04-22
THE PRICE OF WHEAT.
AN ENGLISH ANSWER TO REP
RESENTATIVE MILLS.


a report two years ago that we could not
compete i'm the markets of the world
with our wheat, that il was melancholy
fact confronting the American pcop.c
that we mast look to the home market
alone for the con sumption OF our wheat,
that We must cease speaking about send
ing our wheat 10 Europe and eXchang-
ing IL for their calicocs. their woolens,
their iron. their steel What did those
Republican senators propose 10 do In
order 10 relieve the situation? Why,
they gravely proposed To send TO Europe
anu import her population to come here
aud eat up our wheat"
This distinguished advocate Of British
manufacturing interests, who put into
the mouths OF Republican Senators his
melancholy views of the results OF our
controlling our own market goes on TO
calculate that il will require $1,000, 600
peopo 10 eat our surplus wheat that
1900. 900 OF these will Ee producers,
who, with those we now have employed,
"wOuld make twenty-one thousand mill
ions of manufactured products in place
of seven thousand millions and whore
will we get the market for its Sale?"
Taking exception To the claim that the
people of America should manufacture
the cotton they export, he says, IN effect:
There is yearly surplus OF 100 0O0,-
900 pounds; that though our people con-
sumo is pounds of raw cotton year,
the people of England consume but .
pounds. and il would require the
importation of over 25O, 900, 900 people
"to consume the surplus of one years
cotton crop " At which the Democrats,
not thinking the immigrant would want
second shirt after he had reached here,
IN viz
and most of the Democrats knew that
this statement is made i'm "Engiand's SUI
premacy" (Harpcr ~ Brothers, reprint,
New York, 1856:
"For our cotton manufactures we inn
port raw materia 5 TO the value OF -
millions sterling and after clothing our
own 81 millions OF the people, we export
goods to the value of about 63 millions
sterling, the difference b tween the two
sets of figures being mainly created by
industry"
This annual profit to England, after
clothing its own population, OF $50. OOO,
BOO, or enough To pay $50, 200 people
$500 each, Mr.. Mills wishes TO keep
where il now is He would ut the same
time keep the half million people EN-.
ployed ID English cotton mills with
those dependent on them, whore they
HSc only half the cotton they would here,
and a part Of that half drawn from
India and Egypt, pretending that he
thinks no cotton can be manufactured
here that is not worn here.
Hcrdp ms RdiiirdD dnd Commercial
Journal. Of London, i'm an articl" on the
price of wheat, answers Mr.. Mills pre-
dictioa rs 10 the consumption of wheat
ls follows:
4 1. T.. 4
more strength TO the wheat trade are:
First, a comparative exhaustion of
American supplies; secondly, the ten
1ency of the Americans 10 engage TO a
larger cXtentin manufacturing industry;
thirdly, the continuous growth of the
population of the nited StatcS,-which
Is advancing at the rate OF 10000 per
month; and, fourthy, the failure OF the
winter wheat crop in France. in con
sequence of the extreme severity of the
past season.
"The increased tendency Of the Amer
leans TO engage i'm manufacturing pur-
suits is certainly also one of the current
features of American life. American
farmers have long been chatting under
che poor prices which they have obtain
ed for their products, and a movement
has been noticed Of late from the West
ern States 10 the Southern States. which
has advanced almost by leaps and
bounds in the development of manu-
features OF all kinds. The progress of
American consumption is also a some
what important factor in the situation.
A population VIII ch is growing at the
cate of 1O0,C0 per month must be con-
tinually absorbing more of the current
production of the United States, and
some American economists go the length
Of affirming that by 1895 the
whole of the annual yield of wheat i'm
the great republic will be consumed at
home and that not a bushel will be
available for export In another five or
ten years, the same writer's contend
that not only will the United States have
ceased to be q wheat-grOwing country
but they will probably even have 20
draw supplies of wheat from other lands.
II is undoubtedly true that
American merchants have shown them
selves comparatively Indifferent OF late
to European wheat quotations, as the
local demand has been sufficient to sus-
tain the markets of New York, Chicago,
and other great American Industrial
centers The effect upon the
Western States of America would be
still greater, as Western American agri
culture would once more be- placed upon
a stronger basis"
Under the teaching OF free-trade econ
omsts, the people OF Texas have no
mills except Congressman Mills. They
export wheat, corn, beef wool, coal,
, and they soon will be export
ing iron ore, If the haul is
not so long as TO prevent. These com
modities they exchange for the caIcoes,
wooens, iron and steel made in other To-
calitics, and depending on market out
aide their borders for their raw ma
nserials, they get no more for these than
fhe farmer or other producer who lives
within pistol shot Of the mill which fits
them for use. AS they have no factories
TO compete with those in other States or
countries, the manufacturer sells mer-
chandise 10 them at the door of his mill
at the same price he sells to his nearest
neighbor. The Texan pays the freight;
he pays il both ways; he pays IL ali the
AZ 4