Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1909-07-02

THE OFFICIAL PAPER OF BILLINGS COUNTY
In q speech before the senate in
defense of high duties upon agri-
cultural products of the northwest,
Senator McCumber of North Da-
kota, brought out some interesting
facts about the grain business of
the northwest, particularly as to
the time when this will 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:
1--WE are making this tariff with
the hope and expectation that it
will continue in force for at least
a decade. know our friends on
the other side say they will receive
it themselves in less time than that.
l am not prepared to say they are
not right. l sometimes think that
the American people have got to
learn fearful lesson about every
fifteen years in order to bring
them back to safe, economic prin-
cipales.
Anyway we should start this
bill as near right as our conflict
ing views will allow us, and with
the idea that it will last for ten
years. If l though it would be
materially received in a year or
two I should not concern myself
much about any raise on any agri-
cultural product. But l think it
will last ten years, and if make no
provision for the rapid changes
that are taking place. l certainly
shall fail to properly represent
the people of my state during that
time.
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, :
5000, 900 bushels of wheat, and west
ern Canada, adjoining my state
and the western part of the United
States, raised about 125, 600, 900
bushels. Ten years from today
we may maintain our production
of wheat to, say $50. 000, 900, poss-
IDLY 700, 900, 900 bushels, and by
that time Canada. Immediately
north of the United States, will
probably raise from 100000, 900
to 700, 900, 900 bushels of wheat.
"What will happen then? We
shall be importing wheat in less
than ten years, and on the other
side Of an imaginary line 600. 000,-
600 to 700, 600, 900 bushels of Cana
dain wheat will be ready to find
its nearest market in the United
States. Then, in my judgement,
not even duty of 30 cents a bushel
is going to keep it out of the
United States. and there will be
a considerable importation to this
country.
1.-The value of wheat will stead.
lily increase as the population in.
creases, and the ratio of production
Of wheat to population will decrease
as the population increases. There.
fore, Is cents per bushel at that
time will, in my opinion, not be
adequate protection.
'Now, l want to call the atten.
tion of the senator's to a map of
the United States and Canada,
and probably l can give them
something of an idea of what the
wheat production of westernC Canada
will mean before 1920. l will
draw line on the east side of my
own state Cindicating), parallel
with the Red River of the North
and will continue it down to the
Gulf Of Mexico on the south, and
on the north to the Attic ocean.
West Of that line will be found
nearly two thirds of the entire terri.
itory Of the United States, and