Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1909-05-06
DOLLAR WHEAT HAS COME TO
STAY.
In Less Than Five Year. Central
Canada will BE called Upon to.


A couple Of years ago, when the an
nouncement was made in these col
umns that dollar wheat had come to
stay, and that the time was not far
distant when the central provinces of
Canada-Manitoba, Saskatchewan and
Alberta-would be called upon to sup
ply large part of the wheat consump-
ton in the United States. there were
many who laughed at the predictions
and ridiculed the idea of wheat reach
ing the dollar point and staying there.
Both of these predictions have come to
pass Dollar wheat is here-and it is
not only here. but Is here to stay and
at the same time. whatever unpleasant
sensations 1t may arouse in the super
sensitive American Central Canada is
already being called upon to help keep
up our bread supply, and within the
next five years will. as James ]. Hill
says, literally "become the bread bas-
ket of our increasing millions.
There are few men in the United
States better acquainted with the
wheat situation than Mr.. Hill. and
there are few men. IL any. who are In
clined to be more conservative In their
expressed views. Yet it was this great
est Of the worlds railroad men who
said a few days ago that 1.-The price of
wheat will never be substantially lower
than 1t is to-day and when it is
taken into consideration that at that
d Oh
above the dollar mark, the statement is
peculiarly significant, and doubly sig
niticant is the fact that In this coun-
try the population is increasing at the
ratio of 60 per cent, while the yield of
wheat and other products is increasing
at the rate of only % per cent. For
several years past the cost of living
has been steadily increasing In the
United States. and this wide difference
in production and consumption is the
reason
This difference must be supplied by
the vast and fertile grain regions of
Manitoba, saskatchewan and Alberta.
There is now absolutely no doubt of
this. Even the press Of the country
comedies the fact. Results nave shown
that no other country in the world can
ever hope to equal these provinces as
wheat producers. and that no other
country can produce as hard or as good
wheat. Said great grain man re-
Gently, "If United States wheat main
tains the dollar mark. Canada wheat
will be- we'll above a dollar bushel.
for in every way 1t is superior to our
home grown grain"
With these facts steadily impinging
their truth upon our rapidly growing
population, 1T is interesting TO note just
what possibilities as wheat grow
err our northern neighbor possesses.
While the United States will never
surrender her prestige i'm any manu-
featuring or commercial line. she must
very soon acknowledge. and with as
much grace as she can. that she is
bound to be beaten as grain produc-
or. 1T must be conceded that great
deal Of the actual truth about the rich
ness of Canada's grain producing areas
has been kept out of sight" as Mr.
Hill says. by the strenuous efforts OF
our newspapers and magazines To stem
the exodus of our best American farm
ers into those regions. 1T is fact
that up to the present time. although
Canada has already achieved the front
rank in the worlds grain producers.
the fertile prairies OF Manitoba, Sas
katchewan and Alberta have as yet
scarcely been scratched. Millions Of
acres. free for the taking still await
our American farmers and when these
lions in regions not yet opened up to
immigration. A few years ago the
writer who had been through those
| wheat provinces several times. laughed
| with others of our people at the broad
| statement that Canada was bound to
| Now. after Il last trip (an,l though he
is staunch American1 he frankly be-
licves that not only will Canada be-
come John Bulls bread basket but it
will within the next decade Mt least
! BECOME THE BREAD BASKET OF
THE UNITED STATES Perhaps this
! may be a hard truth for Americans to
swallow. but 1t is a truth nevertheless.
And it Is at least Il partial compensate
| ton to know that hundreds of thou
sands of our farmers are profiting by
the fact by becoming producers in this
1 new country.
| The papers of this country have nat
1
riod of depression which swept over
Canada, but now there is not sign of
1T left from Winnipeg TO the coast.
| Never have the three great wheat rails
| ing provinces been more prosperous.
| Capital is coming into the country from
all quarters, faking the form of cash
for investment, Industrial concerns
| seeking locations, and. best OF all, sub.
stantia and sturdy immigrants come
to help populate the prairies. Towns
are booming; scores of new elevators
are springing up; railroads are sending
out their branch lines in all directions
| thousands OF prosperous farmers are
leaving their prairie shelters for new
| and modern homes built by wheat
everywhere is growing happiness and
CONFERENCE.-The happiness and content.
lneut built by wheat--the dollar
wheat" which has come to stay. Not
w1thstanding this. the Canadian gov
eminent is still giving away its home
steads and selling prescriptions at $500
an acre, and the railway and land com
panies are disposing Of their lands al
what may be considered nominal fig