Willmar tribune., 1900-01-24
FOR WIDER M a R,Il ETS
James ]. Hill's Address Before the
Agricultural Society.

He Desires Opening tho Markets of the
Orient to American t7heat. Farm
ers are Urged to Consider the
Importance.
The feature of the opening day of
the annual session of the State Agri-
cultural society was the address of j.
j. Hill on Enlarged Markets." Fol-
lowing is Mr.. Hilps speech in part:
About half of the people of this country
pursuits and half of the wealth of the
United States, too, is in agricultural prop
erty' y ~ cons Gonsiderabie percentage Of this s
the worlds population were consumers of
wheaton flour; the other two-thirds were
rlse,eaters Worlds total produHcstdioodma Hsd On Of Of
bushels. Yet when there was short.
70, ,oo0, 900, in 1897, the price of wheat went
at previous 6gGres SO Of the the 7o,ooa,ooo bushels
which were short. The average consump-
ton Of flour is about one barrel per cap:
wheat annually per capita; in Great Brit
ain an 4R bushels; in France and Germany
Great Britain can raise enough grain to
feed her people but IL weeks out of So.
She must get the rest from somewhere
else. In Germany we are not so well
pretasf eey oE sgSatf6 agaFT
mates against us, too, by hostile legisla-
ton, probably because its people are so
largely 1hgg ~ engaged in agricultural pursuits
protect them by legislation.
America has expanded in population.
But what has been done to expand our
! have looked into the subject with some
interest, but have been unable to find
an an intelligent mt ~ sentence written by any
our agricultural products. We have: fos-
tered our industries because of our home
marx market; ~ It may be right Of us to con-
that is only little over half our wheat
exports and small percentage Of the
exports of all our agricultural products.
cannot carry it to Great Britain? In
Germany. France and Austria we are met
E1th hostile legislation. To carry it to
Newcastle: Russia is a large producer.
If one-third of the world are wheat
eaters and the other two-thirds live on
rice, maize and rye, we must seek mar
Ket with people who are not consumers
OF wheaton flour, who are not buying our
ga: eat what we produce: It is not :.n exper--
the single exception of the black race
they are ready and eager to eat it. The
anything else, unless, perhaps, for fire
water, and that won't do him any good.
and the flour will. The Asiatic
RICE EATERS WANT FLOUR,
II they can get it at a fair price. How
can a people who have been living on 10
to Is cents day buy -four that must be
carried across the Pacific ocean? If, in
stead of Az bushels per capita, we tried
%r to
plus Of wheat is, perhaps, $50, 900 BUSH
els. Last year, think, the figures were
about 970O0,0oO bushels, If we taught the
per capita for our wheat it would send
100000 bushels to China and Japan
alone, not to mention the Straits Settle
ments and other thiclly settled portions
Now, if the falling off in the worlds
wheat IT, production @ from 2, S0O 600, 600 bushels
to 2,230, 900 bushels raises prices from
10 to ~ cents, 1t seems to me that find
ing a market for 5O,OOOO0O bushels in the
orient would effect marked strengthen
ing In wheat prices: In the first place.
Pacific coast states first, and the entire
system of handling grain on the Pacific
coast goa t is different from that used east OF
1t reaches its market, it is put through
a sweating process. 1t has to be
shipped twice across the equator before
IA SMeRRng SaRs pro- San has to
to dump it in bulk into the hull of YES.
sci, as we ship it across the Atlantic OF
on the Great Lakes.
all bought by three concc- MS, two of then
in Liverpool and closely connected with
the White Star line of steamers, by which
Liverpool this wheat is soId-f viii moi OF
say, to the highest bidder, for it is neve,
high ,ls in any event In fact, this coast
entire wheat market. The last ship is
leaving our coast about the time the firsi
is reaching the European market, SO you
see the California crop is practically al
Thus a European miller can 80 in a
,h wheat ca t. there is: I think it breaks the
European ports it has to % be sold. Se The
boats cannot be delayed, and being ir
tors, but must be carried to a warehouse
It has to go at once in Europe for what
the market there will give for it. And
car care not how you figure it.. what you
sci! abroad fixes the price Of what you
sell at home.
Now there is a bill in congress to en-.
courage the building of American ships
It gives a bonus on American. ships &C.
cording to their length and size, steam
or sail, but it falls short, it seems to me
It does not provide that these ships neee
Why should we pay a bonus for Siis snip:
to come from Great Britain with manu-.
featured products, to bring from France
gloves or other products, while our whea1
Is not getting any assistance from any
qq3rter "a ter. ISAt7Epplause) It7E pla) ~
be made the business of a party to pas:
1t, 1t will be the worst snare and delusior
ever offered to the American farmer, fol
the bulk Of the bounty will be eaten w
fn rti 10 rle
extend your markets, and I hope to keel
at you until you do, you will say we've
PRESENT pre- bili The K bonus Sa IS based un on thu tn,
measured capacity of the ship at 40 cubic
feHf to the ton With no that
You want your markets. I want as mucl
as you to see our flag flying on every sea
to assist the agEieatTra intsrests but e
be frittered away: The bills fate will b
to build ships. But some one will have
to and it will have to be done as bust
ness investment on such a basis as will
vested: we can do great deal in com
petition with the rest of the world be-
cause of our great facilities for the use O.
our mechanical intelligence, while other!
USE AuIldu eueI6y, u4TeClSu dS II may Oe
however indifferently. We held the su
premacy of the sea before.
II we can open a market in the Orien
for our grain, we would take this Pacii,
coast wheat out of the European mar
ket, and not only keep it from serving tt
depress the market, but it might be pos
sible at times, If we could arrange for
return trade, so we would not have t.
haul our cars back empty, to find mar
ket there for large amount Of our mid
die West wheat. Every time you hau
| grain car back empty, you double tn,
transportation. But we have no ships t,
carry this product to the Orient, yet ther,
are few things from which more benefi
could be derived by American produc