The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-10
The Farmers Side.

I find In Saturdays issue a letter from
Mr.. Sherlock on Canadian Wheat I'm
ports, trying to make the farmers believe
that 1t is for their interest and prosperity
to not oppose the effort of the millers to
get Canadian wheat to grind, by some rul-
ing on the present tariff law.
Some time ago Mr.. Edgar of the Miller
mad an article, the same in substance, that
the millers were great help and tho
only salvation Of the wheat raisers.
Ihey tell of the millions that are in
vested in mills, and that they have fire.
quent 'shut-downs'' because Of lack of
orders for export trade. The plea of the
millers seems to be that they are one
Of those Infant industries" that should
have the help of farmers and the govern
ment to DO business. and make big profits.
whether the farmers who furnish the
product for the mills make any profit. or
even a good living, or not On account
OF the light crop many thousand farmers
thru the northwest have done all Of last
years work at a loss, and they are In no
good humor to grant any special favors
to companies or corporations in the mill
Ing business now, that may be to their
detriment in the future.
The farmers do not and can not "shut
down" when the weather conditions are
such that it is plain to be seen that the
crops are bound to be failure from
drouth, wet rust, frost or insects: they
harvest what they have, stand the loss,
clear the fields and commence the fall
blowing for the next crop.
Inc Dig companies or corporations, when
the books show that there is not q profit
IN their business, all the year around for
the capital invested, look around to see II
there Is not some way Of getting help from
others. and In the case Of the millers thew
nave now tried to get a wedge in on the
only benefit that the farmers have from,
the protective tariff. They would like t.
get (so-called) frosted wheat at a. 10-cen1
duty, and also get a SO per cent drawback
on wheat milled under bond-while, il
Justice to the wheat raisers they should
not have more than 90 or IS per cen,
drawback
According to the millers' own state
ments, they are guilty Of food adultera
ton IN mixing a little Of our wheat will
the Canadian wheat, while it ought t,
De the other way-mix some Of the Cana,
dian wheat with our wheat to improve
and strengthen the flour. If they coul,
only get SO per cent drawback, that i
what they would do. II :
The millers claim to have many million
invested in their business, which Shout,
be preserved, but 1t is a very, very SINAI
amount in comparison to what the whea
ra1sers have invested in their business
| The statistics are not at hand, but lat
government reports show that the farm
ers Of the United States have produce
during the last year the enormous sur
of $4,000, 600, 900. =. = - :"
The farmers have supported and bull
up these "infant industries for man
long years, and stood the assessment I'm
complainingly, and have never looked to Q
expected that the millers would help Their
any, when they have a light crop, as the
have this year; SO it strikes me that it
the duty OF the millers now not to expec
any big dividends from milling this cror
and hope for a 81 or 95-cent crop mex
year. ~
Mr.. Sherlock can rest easy on rust 70
next year, for Professor Bolley saws
There is not one iota Of scientific eyi
dence that next years crop will be in
fected from this years rust"
| ID. L. Wellman.
|