The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-06-18
LOW. WHEAT PRICES.
Some Reasons for Them at the
Present Time.

Present Time.
A great many people, wheat sellers
and others interested in having the
price of wheat go up to rs cents or
more per bushel, and remain there,
wonder why it don't go up to the Ely
SUM of their. dreams, or even touch
on ST. per bushel. The local wheat
buyers are continually asked questions
bearing on this subject, and their an
swer, while new to the interrogation,
gets to be chestnut for the agents.
In an interview with Mr.. G. w.
George, the independent wheat buyer
at this station, had only recently, that
gentleman attempted to venture the
main reason for the low price of wheat
at the present. time, and darkly limited
that the price was likely to continue
on the unpleasant side of 60 cents for
some time to come. His statements
were practically based on the govern
ment census of the wheat product
from 1860 to 1890 for Minnesota, the
two Dakotas and then the United
States in total. He stated that be-
tween the two dates mentioned the in
crease in the production in the United
States amounted to almost three hun
dred million bushels.
For instance in 1860 Minnesota only
raised 2,1S6,993 bushels, but in 1870
this product had increased to ]S, $685.
COZ bushels, in 1880 to 34,6O1, O3O
bushels, and in 1890 to 52,3OO,247
bushels. In 1860 the territory of Da-
kota reported only 945 bushels of
wheat having been raised there. In
1870 this amount had beeen increased
to 10000, in 1880 to 2,83O,2S9 BUSH
els and in 1890 to 1894, SOB bushels.
The total yield of the United States
in 1860 was 173,1O4,924 bushels, in
1870 it was 2S7, 745,626 bushels, in
1880 it was 459,4S3, 1877 bushels and in
1890 it was 1853, 373, 1868 bushels.
Besides this enormous increase in
production in our own country there
have come into competition with us
the countries of Brazil, Argentine Re-
public, Australia and some foreign
countries. In all of these foreign
countries cheap labor is employed
and the corporations or bonanza farm
ers who carry on the work of growing
wheat on vast fields in those countries,
particularly in the Argentine, can
grow the same and put it on the mar
ket with a good, big profit at IS cents
per bushel. The very cheapest labor
is employed and it is impossible for
the American farmer to successfully
compete with those countries in the
growing of wheat.
The wheat growing farmer of this
section of the United States must also
stop and consider two other facts. One
of these is that no matter how low the
price of his cereal is on the market
the railroad corporations charge just
as much per 100 pounds for hauling it
or his commission for selling it is just
as large as though it we're 81 pei
bushel. 1t is plain, therefore, that
while these corporations or middle
men take no risk and continue to re.
ceive SO much on every bushel of sold
or transported the farmer is the loser
every time the market price drops one
cent. The farmer takes all the chanc.
es and the wheat buyer and railroad
corporation does not take any.
There is probably no remedy fol
the latter, unless it is for our farmers
to get out of the wheat raising bust
ness as soon as they can. There is nc
use trying to compete with the cheap
labor of the Argentine and other
countries, particularly so long as rail
road corporations and middle men
keep up their prices for transportation
and hauling, which are undoubtedly
based on 81 wheat.