The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-10

nate Says, Before the Americans
Farmer Can Get the Full Reward
to Which His Industry by Right
Entities Him-AnnuaI Meeting OF
State Agricultural Society.
ut will bring national scandal and
disgrace If under the name of helping
the agricultural classes law is passed
which will pay s45O,OO0 in susidies to fast
Atlantic passenger boats to carry our
wealthy Americans to Europe to spend
the money they have made here. Per-
haps some day We will be rich enough
SO we can afford to do that, but let US
first raise the price of wheat above 30
cents bushel."
Ringing applause answered these last
sentences of James j. Hills address be-
fore the state agricultural society yesters
day afternoon on Enlarged Markets."
and in a moment the veteran Patrick H.
Rahilly, of Lake City, was on his feet
with a motion to appoint a COMMITTEES
Of five to draft resolutions directing the
representatives of Minnesota in congress
to fight or amend the Hanna-Payne sub
sjdy bill, which he stjgmatized as a fraud
from beginning to end. He hoped, too,
that Mr.. Hill would arrange for the full
publication of his address and its gem
eral distribution to the farmers of this
and adjoining states.
1t was pointed out to Mr.. Rahilly, how
ever, that the subject would properly
come within the scope of the committee
=. ot,,f1 or11
he withdrew his motion under that view
of the case :
Mr. Hills address on Enlarged Mar
kets" was listened to by the agriculturs
lists present with rapt attention, and in-
corrupted occasionally with applause.
He pointed out that the population OF
the United States was doubling itself
practically every thirty years, so that
In 1896 there would be here between 15o,-
100000 and 16o,o0o,0oo people. This ex-
nansion had been continual, and there
was no prospect that 1t would cease. Yet
these men must all be at work. He said:
AGRICULTURAL WEALTH.
About half Of the people OF THIS coun-
try and ga9f Of Y the hs wealth Of
the United States, too, is In Agricultural
property. A considerable percentage os
this was In wheat: Only about one,Inlra
of wheaton flour; the other two-thirds
were rice-eaters. Worlds total production
of wheat annually was about 2,S0o Ooo,oeo
bushels. Yet when there was shortage
in this production in one year of 7OOoo,s
600, in 1897 the price of wheat went up Id
to 20 cents, far more than the value at
previous figures Of the 70,OO0OOO bushels
which were short. The average consump-
tion of flour is about one barrel per
capita. In America we eat 5h bushels OF
wheat annually per capita; In Great Brl-
tain Az bushels in France and Germany
less.
Great Britain can raise enough grain
to feed her people but Ii weeks out OF oz.
She must get the rest from someWnere
else In Germany we are not so welcome.
They legislate against our meat on one
pretext or another. France. discriminates
against us, too by hostile legislation,
probably because It's people are so largely
engaged in agricultural pursuits that It's
lawmakers feel constrained to protect
them by legislation. -
But what has been done to expand our
markets, since the Civil war, for exam
pie? have looked into the subject with
some interest, but I have been unable TO
find an intelligent sentence written by
any one for the enlargement Of the mar
<ket for our agricultural products. We
have fostered our industries because OF
our home market. 1t may be right for us
to continue. We have reached that point
where we export $75,O00000 In steel and
iron, but that is only little over half our
wheat exports and a small percentage OF
the exports Of all our agricultural pro-
ducts.
The cheapest steel produced in Great
Britain is probably in the Middleburv dis
trict, and tefore the recent advances in tha
price of iron and steel 1t cost SS.75 to
produce ton Of Bessemer pig IRON. IN
this country, with Pittsburg coal cheapiy ply
Superior ores taken to convenient points
to be assembled with West Virginia o.
Pennsylvania coke, we can make as gooa
pig $3.50 per ton less than In Brea1
Britain So we are now furnishing p's
iron. steel bllets, and even plates and
rails in manufactured form to Great
Britain, and large amount to Italy. AUS
trja and Germany They can make 1t in
this country and furnish it, owing to nat
ural conditions for less than they can
make It in those countries 1 r. themselves.
Ing less making greater the demand TOP
coal from Africa and it's cost constantly
growing greater.
NEED OF A MARKET.
With our growth and population, we
must figure how these people must be
employed so that they may be intelligentt
prosperous and happy. The prosperity or
q country. its material good, depends on
It's agricultural class more than all others
combined. The intelligence and patrio-
tism of a nation rests at least as largely,
If not to. an even greater extent, on the
AGRICULTURAL portion. 1t has Deen IOunQ
when it has been necessary to call on
the people to support the flag that large
bulk of It's forces have come from the
field If we were to preserve our prosper
ity and keep commerce on sound basis
we must find a market for our products.
AS 1t is now, II per cent of our exports
90 to one country. If the people would
stop to think what would happen to us, If
they were not able to buy from us.
they would soon realize what cond. ton
they were in. The Argentine republic has
been a bug bear. It's wheat has broken
the price of the American exports AUS
tralia has done something occasionally:
India a few years ago, was considered
our chief competitor; but India, year IN
and year out has harvested but llttlG
more than is necessary for the consump-
ton of her own people. There Is just as
likely to be shortage as surplus there.
The Argentine republic crops have Deen
they are harvesting g crop which Is Is eso T.
bushels NAustralia expects to have poss
sibly 10000, 900 bushels to sell this yearf
We may have to meet conditions agaiq
similar to those Of the fall Of 1885 ana
the spring of 1897. You may have to race
a low price Of wheat. 1t may not Do
profitable to raise wheat. When that daYs
shall come, this country suffers TO ~
enormous extent, because so many people
are interested In this one crop
Where can we carry our grain II Wq
cannot carry 1t to Great Britain? IL
with hostile legislation. To. carry 1t 10
Russa would be like carrying Goals to
Newcastle. Russia is a large producer.
= IF one-third of the world arc wheat