The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-15
The Bonding Privilege.


Secretary Shaw has not decided the
question as to whether American mlllers
NAV mix Canadian with the American
wheat imported under bond. he has
submitted the question as to It's legal
phases to the attorney general, but no
cites numerous precedents in other lines
Of manufacture which seem to fully es-
tablish the princi pie which the m1llers
are seeking to have applied to their
business by the treasury department.
Unless the attorney general shall dlscov-
err some reasons why the American
miller should not enjoy the same
privileges under the law that are &C
corded to manufacturers in other lines,
1t is fair inference that the secretary
will concede to the millers the privilege
of mixing the wheat, as they have re-
guested. 4
This request has aroused good deal
of opposition among farmers, and among
politicians who assume that by oppos-
ing this concession theyare favoring the
American wheat grower and strengthen
ing themselves politically. Of course,
If the export trade in flour is Of no ad-
vantage to the American wheat-grower
he may be justified in opposing the in
PRODUCTION of Canadian wheat under any
conditions. But it is so apparent that
Che miller must have Canadian wheat
this year, both on account of it's price
and its quality, in order to hold his ex-
port trade, that the question rapidly
resolves itself into whether the Ameri-
can farmer shall oppose the millers in
this effort to retain that trade, or shall
concede that the retention of it would
be to his interests and is to be desired
even at the expense of possible tenn
porary sacrifice.
IF we have arrived in this country
at the point where we are no longer
to export wheat or flour, the American
farmer may consistently oppose the in
PRODUCTION Of Canadian wheat under any
conditions whatever except the payment
of the full amount of the tariff.
But probably no intelligent farmer
believes that the conditions which
obtain this year, when there
will be very small, if any, ex
portable surplus, are permanent. Or
the other hand, all the probabilities
seem to indicate that the United States
is likely to have breadstuffs for export
for a great many years to come.
/. In the meantime, the American pro
Queer will be obliged to accept as thu
price of his product the world price
| His surplus must find it's sale in til.
world IS market at the world g rate. I
\ has always been to his advantage tina
h that surplus found it's market in thu
II shape of flour. The rule in the Min
i neapolis market, for instance, is tina
4 the miller pays more for wheat thai
N che ruling quotation in the speculativ
II market. The farmer has enjoyed thi
.. advantage for many years. There hav
N been times when the impression pre-
vailed honestly perhaps, that the mile
was not the friend Of the farmer, tina
.Et he sought to depress the price of tn
farmers product, but that notion ha
.i ibeen pretty generally eradicated by
more general knowledge Of the fact
so that in this instance it is not to b
assumed that the opposition to bondin
and drawback privilege is due altt
gether to prejudice against the mile
as 1t is probably due rather to failul
u to take into account all the facts {
rs. the situation. IF it be true that tn
l present condition with regard to til
surplus is only temporary, and that tn
# farmer profits by the export Of h
H product in the shape Of flour rattle
in ho Of rh bo
l bound to recognize the menace whic
exists against the export flour trade {
Il the American miller if he is not to /
allowed to avail himself of such free
access to the wheat supply Of the wor]
as will enable him to tide over til
present emergency and hold his expo1
trade. 1t is matter of life and deaf
4 with the American miller. It is a ma
ter of scarcely less vital Importance I
u the American wheat grower, for if /
n loses the foreign market for his proc
uct in manufactured form his whea
fields are going to feel it almost
Il much as the American mill.
1t is easy to jump to conclusions fro
surface indications, and prejudice ait
4 TO sudden but sometimes very unsa1
decisions; this is matter for tt
American farmer and wheat-raiser |
] study out carefully with all the fac
4 before him rather than to dispose
it on impulse and fragmentary info
nation. @
The first effect of the announced a
titude of the treasury department. t
\ ward the grinding Of Canadian Whe;