Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-05-07
DOLLAR WHEAT HAS COME TO
STAY.
In Less Than Five Years Central
Canada VIII Be Called Upon to
Supply the United States.

AIDeILd-WOulu De cdlleu upon W 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 1t is
not only here, but is here to stay; and
at the same til =, whatever unpleasant
sensations it 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 breadbas
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, if 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 few days ago that "the price Of
wheat will never be substantially lower
than it is to-day"-and when it is
taken into consideration that at that
| time wheat had scared to $1.20, well
above the dollar mark, the statement is
peculiarly significant, and doubly sig
| nifcant is the fact that IN this coun-
try the population is increasing at the
| ratio Of 65 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 have 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 a great grain man re-
Gently, off United States wheat main
will be well above a dollar bushel,
for in every way it is superior to our
home grown grain
With these facts steadily impinging
their truth upon our rapidly growing
population, it is interesting to note just
what possibilities as a "wheat grow
err our northern neighbor possesses.
Q
surrender her prestige in 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 a grain prOduc-
er. 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 a 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
millions are gone there are other mil
lions in regions not yet opened up to
immigration. A eew 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
become "John Bulls bread-basket."
Now, after a last trip (and though he
| is a staunch American) he frankly be-
| lieves that not only will Canada be-
come John Bulls b-ead-basket, but it
will within the next decade at least
BECOME THE BREAD-BASKET OF
THE UNITED STATES. Perhaps this
may be Il hard truth for Americans to
swallow. but it is d truth nevertheless.
And it is at least partial compensa-
ton to know that hundreds of thou
sands Of our farmers are profiting by
the fact by becoming producers in this
neW country.
The papers of this country have nat
urally made the most of the brief pc
Rod of depression which swept over
Canada, but now there is not a 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 concerns
seeking locations, and, best of all, sub
standal 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 a growing happiness and
| ntentment-happiness and content
ment built by wheat-the dollar
wheat" which has come to stay. Not
withstanding 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 at
what may be considered nominal fig
ures.
Be a Man!
4 Texas tradesman has this pertinent
sim in n cOnSDicuOuS Mace in his Stora.