The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-05-06
DOLLAR WHEAT HAS
COME TO STAY
IN LESS THAN FIVE YEARS CEN
TRIAL CANADA WILL BE CALLED
UPON TO SUPPLY THE
UNITED STATES.

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 a large part OF the wheat con.
sumption In the United States, there
were many who laughed at the predic.
tions and ridlculed the idea OF wheat
reaching the dollar point and staying
there. Both Of these predictions have
come to pass. Dollar wheat Ia here
and II is not only here, but is here to
stay; and at the same time, whatever
unpleasant sensations IL may arouse
in the representative American. Cen.
trail Canada is already being called
upon to help keep up the bread sup.
ply. and within the next Ave years
will, as James j. Hin says. literally
become the bread basket OF our in.
creasing millions"
There are few men in the United
states better acquainted with the
wheat situation than Mr. Hill, and
there are few men. If any who are in.
Cllncd 10 be more conservative in
their expressed views. let II was this
greatest of the worlds railroad men
who said few days ago that the
price OF wheat will never be substan.
TALLY lower than 1t is today"-and
when II is taken into consideration
that at that time wheat had scared to
Sl20. well above the dollar mark, the
statement is peculiarly significant,
aud doubly significant Is tho fact that
In this country the population lie in.
creased at the ratio OF Go 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 stead.
lily 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 have shown
that no other country in the world can
ever hope to equal those provinces as
wheat producers, and that no other
country can produce as hard or as
good wheat. Said great grain man
recently, If United States wheat main
tains the dollar mark, Canada wheat
viii be well above a dollar a bushel,
for in every way II IL superior to our
home grown grain"
With these facts steadily impinging
their ruth upon our rapidly growing
population, It In interesting to note
Just what possibilities as wheat
grower our Northern neighbor pos,
scsscs While the United States will
never surrender her prestige in any
manufacturing or commercial line. She
must very soon acknowledge. and with
a much grace rs she can, that she Is
bound to be beaten as grain pro.
Queer. II must be conceded that
great deal OF the actual truth about
the richness of Canada's grain prOduC-
ing area has been kept out OF sight.
as Mr. Hill says. by the strenuous ef.
forts OF our newspapers and maya
zines 20 stem the exodus OF or best
American farmers into those regions.
II is a fact that up to the present
time, although Canada has already
achieved the front rank in the world Is
grain producers, the fertile prairi"s
OF Manitoba, saskatchewan and Al
berta have as yet scarcely been
scratched Millions of acres, free for
the taking. still await our American
farmers and when these millions are
gone there are other millions in re.
g:ons not yet opened up to immgra.
ton. few years ago the wpter. who
has been through those wheat prov
inccs several times, laughed with 9th.
rrs of our people at the broad
statement that Canada was bound to
become John Bulls Bread Basket
Nov, after a last trip tand though he
Is stanCh Americana he frankly be
lieves that not only will Canada be.
come John Bulls broad.b basket, but it
Will NllIlU Tue ItAL utfuut ut lbaAl
BECOME THE IREAD.BASKET OF
THE UNITED STATES. Perhaps this
may be a hard truth for Aemricans to
swallow, but 1t is a truth. neverthe.
less. And 1t is at least a partial com.
pensation to know that hundreds OF
thousands of our farmers are profit.
Ing by the fact by becoming producers
In this new country.
The papers of this country have nat.
urally made the most Of the brief pb
Rod OF depression which swept over
Canada. but now there is not sign OF
It 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. taking the form OF
cash for investment, industrial con.
Germs seeking locations, and, best OF
all, substantial 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 prosper
GUS farmers are leaving their prairie
fn- bnt