The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-06-14
AMERICA USES
MORE WHEAT
SENATOR MccuMSER PREDICTS
COUNTRY WILL EXPORT NO
MORE AFTER 1910.

washington, June 14.--In a speech
before the senate in defense OF high
duties upon the agricultural products
Of the Northwest, Senator McCumber
OF North Dakota brought out some
mighty interesting facts about the
grain business Of the Northwest, par
ticularly as to the TIME when this viii
cease to be an exporting country for
wheat and barley, and when enough
wheat will not be produced to supply
the domestic demand. He said:
I'VE are making this taric with the
hope and the expectation that IL viii
continue in force for at least decade.
know our friends on the other side
say they will revise 1t themselves in
less time than that, / am not pre-
pared to say they are not right.
sometimes think that the American
people have got to learn fearful les
son about, every fifteen years in order
to bring them back to safe, economic
principles.
Anyway we should start this bill
as near right as our conflicting views
will allow us, and with the idea that
1t will last for ten years. II thought
it would be materially received in a
year or two I should not concern my
self much about any raise on any
agricultural product But / think It
will last ten years, and make no
provision for the rapid changes that
are taking place, certainly shall fail
to properly represent the people of my
state during that time.
EAl 49,
To-day we are exporting wheat,
oats, barley and rye. Eleven years
from today, in 1920, we shall in all
probability not be exporting a bushel
of either of these cereals. The last
year we raised about $50 900 bush
els of what and western Canada, ad-
joining my state and the western part
of the United States, raised about
125,000,0p0 bushels. Ten years from
today we may maintain our produc-
ton of wheat to, say, 650,000,000, pos
sibly 000,000,000 bushels, and by that
time Canada, Immediately north of the
United States, will probably raise
from 5O0,000,000 to 700,000,0OO bushels
of wheat.
What will happen then? We shall
years, and on the other side Of an
imaginary line 500, 100000 to 1000, O0o,-
600 bushels Of Canadian wheat will be
ready to find its nearest market in
the United States. Then, in my judg-
ment. not even a duty of 80 cents a
bushel is going to keep Ii out Of the
United States, and there will be
considerable Importation to this coun-
try.
The value of wheat will steadily in
crease as the population increases.
and the ratio of production of wheat
to population will decrease as the
population increases. Therefore, 25
cents per bushel at that time will, in
my opinion, not be adequate protec-
tion
Now, want to call the attention
of senator's to map of the United
States and Canada, and probably
can give them something of an idea
of what the wheat production of
western Canada will mean before
1920. / will draw a line on the east
side of my own state (indicating).
parallel with the Red River of the
North, and will continue 1t down to
the Gulf of Mexico on the south. and
on the north to the Artic ocean.
West of that line will be found nearly
two thirds of the entire territory of
the United States, and west Of that
line in Canada will be found more
acres that will produce grain and
cereals Of all kinds than can possibly
be found in the United States west of
that line. Here is a tract OF country
(indicating), about 1900 miles by 500
miles, interspersed with lakes, rivers
and small bodies of timber, nearly ev-
cry acre of which, outside of the small
mountainous portion, is capable of
producing all kinds OF cereals except
corn, and probably that can be raised
in some sections. AS far north as the
sixtieth parallel Of latitude Qndicat-
ing) grain is being raised today, and
wheat is being raised fully 100 niles
north of that line.
Coming GraAary Of World.
Il have lately been over that coun-
try. know something about 1t. I
know that the rainfall is q great deal
more than 1t is on the American side
west of that vast section and east of
the mountains. do not believe that
the soil has the lasting quality OF the
soil in the United States, but / do
know that in less than twenty years
this section of Canada Will be the
wheat granary of the entire world,
and believe that in making this
tariff we should take into considera-
tion this most important fact.
"Only very small portion OF this
entire tract is at present under culti-
walton. I believe that in 1908 the
report OF Mr.. Young. superintendent
OF railway lines in Canada, showed
that about 120.000,00O acres Of this
land were then occupied and thar
about 100000 acres were under cul-
tivation.
II want to call attention to another
fact, and that Is that all OF the great
transcontinental lines OF Canada are
crossing this section and are build
ing their spurs on both sides for hum
dreds Of miles. Here is the Canadian
Pacific traversing It; here is the
Grand Trunk. reaching far to the
north; here Is the Canadian North
lern traversing the same section; and
| every one, with their smaller lines OF
feeders, is bringing every section Of
this country convenient to railways
| So, Mr.. President, we may reasonably
expect that in less than ten years
there may be raised as much wheat
| in this great Northwest as there is
raised in the United States.
"a number of senators have reiter-
ated several times that the farmer can
not be benefited by q duty on his
products so long as he Is exporting
| them; but, Mr.. President, any man