East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-07-11

One of the latest estimates Of this
years seeded area in Manitoba and
the Northwest provinces places II at
$500, 900 acres for all grains, as COM
pared with 100000 acres last year.
Allowing for coarse grain 100000
acres. there is left 4.500,000 acres for
wheat.
Roughly il can be said that the
wheat area is greater by 100000 |
acres than It was in 1904. The re-
ports coming out of the west agree in |
stating that so far the weather con-
ditions have been almost ideal. The ,
seed was put in good shape. and since
then the rains have fallen copiously
almost as they we're needed This de-
scription does not, of course. apply
to every district, but in general sense
It covers the whole Canadian North
west, says a Manitoba letter in the
Boston Transcript.
The United States is interested in
this crop for two reasons. One is be-
cause of the heavy immigration of
American farmers to the Canadian
fields. For two or three years this
movement has been growing in i'm
portance, and this spring. apparently.
former records have been broken.
Naturally the people of the states will
follow with interest the doings of their
late fellow citizens, and will view
with pleasure the good prospects that
| confront them.
The second reason is because of the
new theory that has lately gained
much prominence in the grain and
stock markets. II 1t is true that there
will no longer be any important
American surpluses in wheat; If 1t Is
true that the states will, in the future
have to buy wheat instead of selling
| it. then the Canadian crop becomes at
once an important consideration.
Watching the Situation.
In Canada, naturally. the interest
| in the outcome of the 1905 operations
| of the western farmers is more direct.
| East and west everybody connected
| with finance and commerce is watch
ing the situation closely. 1t is well
known that the last three or four
years have been full of remarkable
prosperity. The unexpected appear
ance of the black rust prevented last
year from ranking we'll, but, as it
was, the result was not so bad.
One might suppose. then, that the
present condition of affairs out there
was eminently solid and satisfactory.
After so many rich, fat years the peo-
pie should, surely, be wealthy and IN
dependent And so, perhaps, num-
Der of them are. Those who Keep
their heads and resist the temptation
to buy land more and yet more of it.,
and to borrow and borrow beyond
the limits of prudence, find their bank
| accounts doubtless, in the most salts
factory shape. But all were not SO
wise. Some went mad in their eager
ness to get rich quickly through the
rapid increase in land values.
A couple of weeks ago a prominent
Manitoban, visiting in Montreal, made
this admission in an interview; THE
west needs a bumper crop this year
more. perhaps, than people think" In
Wall street a good deal was heard re-
Gently about men selling out factories,
etc. to trusts at tremendous inflated
figures, finding themselves million
aires over night and then proceeding
to waste their new fortunes nfool-
ish stock speculations. 1t appears
that not a few western farmers have
been every whit as foolish as the un-
steady millionaires.
Big Holdings.
When the writer lived in Manitoba,
| l.. l,se ~ nc a
hard headed fellow and had the
greatest confidence in his sense and
Judgment. Without doubt his is an
extreme case. but nevertheless there
are hundreds of instances wherein
the farmers have had their sound
sense swept away by the recent tide
of prosperity.
Where they should have big bal
ances in the bank they have instead
enormous debts and contracts to pay,
The danger of the situation lies in the
fact that without splendid crops every
year those who are so much spread
out cannot hope to meet their yearly
instalments in full If a bad year,
such as last comes along, part of
the yearly payment is thrown forward
onto the next crop.
If that too, should be failure, II
may mean foreclosure proceedings
and the forced sale of big holding of
land If any province or any section
OF country remains uninterruptedly in
the boom stage for five years there
must be considerable rottenness In
existence there. Undoubtedly there is
rottenness in Manitoba. The people
there have got to get back to econom-
ical habits and ideals before the sit
uation can again be described as
sound from the core to rind.