The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-06-13
OUR EXPORT TRADE IN FLOUR

on shall be met with changes in leg
islation. 1t may be impossible to do
this without sacrificing interests of
more importance. This is not an ar
gument for the salvation of the flour
trade; only an exposition of the con-
ditions that menace it.
Our export trade in flour, like that
in other manufactures, has been built
up on cheap and abundant raw ma
terial. and mechanical efficiency
enough to offset the higher labor cost,
due to our policy of protection. The
tariff does not help the export flour
trade, though it helps the domestic,
by increasing industrial consumption.
It taxes cost of production and limits
foreign markets by closing our mar
kets to the products of foreigners.
We can keep it only by keeping our
offsetting advantages.
In the nature of things these are
not permanent and may be offset by
other nations even while they remain
to us. Our alert mechanical efficiency
has a dangerous rival in the scientific
thoroughness of Germany. Even our
cheap raw material may be offset by
the artificial protection of German
export bounties. But the industrial
:. Of hn 1fysX-
continually to deprive the mills Of
cheap raw material. 1t may be for
the best interest of the whole country
that this should be done
When mills grind wheat at the
ers must sell at that price, in COM
petition with the cheapest wheat Ia
Dor of the world American farmers
are gradually escaping from this
necessity with gradual increase of the
consuming capacity of the country.
The export trade in wheat and flour
go together When we stop perman-
emily exporting wheat, the price will
rise to the general American level,
under our policy of protection, if we
keep that up, and the farmers will
see that We do.
The millers will lose their last adj
vantage in competition with those of
England and the continent and our
export trade in flour Will disappear
We snail even lose the advantage Of
superior quality, when American
farmers in Canada produce wheat
equal to our best and send it to Eur
ope at the worlds price for the same
admixture with other kinds to the
most perfect production that is prac-
ticed in our own mills
1t is a pity not to prolong indefi-
n:tely the American export flour in
dustry by allowing it to use this Ca
madam wheat That would not injure
the American farmer in the least. 1t
would benefit him, in cheaper food for
stock, if he had the acuteness to in
sist upon relieving the mills of the
duty of 81 the ton on the coarser by
products of Canadian -four ground for
export, to be sold in this country
Taking it at it's worst, what would
be the effect of the disappearance Of
the American export trade in flour.
Did the energy and fertility of Amerf-
can industry continue, it would not
port and consumption; on the con-
trary it would increase the value or
both by changing it's form. There is
more profit in exporting finished pro-
duct than raw material, and many
finished products, above all food pro-
ducts, are the raw material of other
products.
The change we contemplate would
be another step upward in our indus
trial development. We began with
exporting the product of farm labor
in wheat We advance to adding the
labor of the mills before exporting in
form of flour. When we feed all the
flour we make to American workmen
who are producing material of higher
value for export we shall increase the
national wealth.
There is one dark side to the pros
pect. How are we going to keep up
our foreign trade in anything, as the
ephemeral advantage of our cheap
and abundant raw material disap-
pears, while We shut out foreign trade
with a prohibitofy tariff? That is
question for statesmen like Aldrich
and Cannon.
| With prices at their present high