Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-11-02
CAUSE OF Low PRICE OF WHEAT.

! CAUSE OF Low PRICE OF WHEAT.
Much has been laid "f iare through
the press upon The subject Of the low
price of wheat aud III causes All have
agreed on one point, and that j, that
the price j. low. and here they divide.
am aware that the farmers have in
the past often regarded the millcrs II,
their enemies. but | will attempt Ia
show briefly why the interest, 81 farmer
and miller are identical. Il that 10y
reason of the feeling mentioned the
cause, o. low priced wheat have not
been removed.
First the miller i the best customer
the farmer has. aud j. ALWAYS in the
market. aud Away, pays the market
price tor the wheat. The market is not
made by the miller. but i practically
made by the Liverpool operator. EX-
cept during the first month or two a.
the beginning of each crop year. the
millers take the bulk of the wheat
brought TO market. During the fist
two months the movement j. very
heavy, and much is exported, but after
this little goes for export from locali-
ties where there are mills. Remove the
milling industry from our country, and
our wheat must go abroad and come in
competition with the poor and cheap
wheats of Europe and India. Not only
is this true. but the oflal i lost to our
farmers. The foreign miller will not
use American wheat until it comes
down in price TO the poor wheat of
Europe and India, but the American
flour could be placed in every market
in the world. because If its superiority,
if not shut out by prohibtory foreign
tariffs. 1t has done this in many mar
kets in the face of their own tariffs. In
talking with gentleman from Hol-
land, not long since, lac said, IN answer
TO my query a TO how much American
wheat their native millers ground
They do not grind any. because they
can get Indian and European wheat so
much cheaper. They are anxious 70
use your fine American wheat. but
can't pay the price and compete in the
market with their flour. OF course this
flour is much inferior to your American
article, and they realize the fact, but
can't remedy the defect. think they
realize that your millers will eventually
ruin their business, and therefore they
are asking for a duty on American
Hour He simply gave the situation
the world over. The foreign miller
will only take our wheat when it is
either sold at the low price realized for
poor foreign wheat. or when their crop
is short and they must have 1t. On ac-
count Of better wheat and better facii-
ties and having attained higher de-
ElNt VI I'll III lluullNlulN' lilN
can miller can produce the best flour in
the world. His market is at present
narrowed by the maintenance of pro-
hlbitory tariff duties by certain foreign
countries. If these countries would
take American wheat, and pay a rela-
lively higher price FOR it than for the
poor quality Of the European wheat,
then the farmers interest in the subject
might not be quite so great; but the
facts are not such. The millcrs of this
country. through the Winter Wheat
Millers League. an organization formed
for the exclusive purpose Of extending
the markets for American flour, have
asked congress TO enact retaliatory
laws whereby the Injuries, purchased
only by our rich, coming from the
countries maintaining high tariff duties
against American flour, might be
charged 4 double duty until they were
willing by reciprocal treaties to allow
our Hour to enter their markets on a