New-York tribune., 1910-04-28
THE WHY OF HIGH PRICES
Grain Exports Will Cease in
1913, Says w. c. Brown.
SOIL MUST BE CONSERVED
Secretary Wilson Says Country
Soon Must Face New Condi-
tions and Sounds Warning.

President W. G. Brown OF the New York
Central Railroad told large body OF men
prominent in public life. in business and in
farming. who net on the floor OF the New
York Produce Exchange after trading hours
yesterday. that unless conditions changed
materially the nations consumption Of
grain would overJake its production by
l9l3 and that that year would see the last
bushel OF wheat corn. oats. barley or rye
exported from this country. Mr.. Brown had
a large statistical chart TO prove his con-
tention.
His figures. beginning with 1865. were Of
fetal down to and including 1908 After that
year they were estimated he said, but the
estimates we're based on the figures for the
years preceding and were as accurate as
experts could make them. He had entire
confidence in them. he said.
The occasion OF his address was a con-
ference called by President Welding Ring
Of the Produce Exchange to consider means
for reiuvenating the soil Of the states east
Of the Allegheny Mountains. for injecting
a fresh interest into farming in these states,
ard for again raising New York State
through intensive methods. into the pre-
eminent position it once held as an agri-
cultural commonwealth under the old pio-
neer regime.
Secretary James Wilson OF the Depart
rnent OF Agriculture. Commissioner r. \.
Pearson OF the state Department OF Agri-
culture and Assistant Secretary B. 5. Gable
OF the Department Of Commerce and Labor
were among the speakers.
IN 1860 the New York Central built in
Buffalo four great grain elevators Presi-
dent Brown said. Recently the question
Of the necessity Of rebuilding these eleva-
tors has arisen. and as II would cost some
thing like ss0o00o0 or s7t00oo 70 rebuild
them the question Is a very important one.
So 7 had this chart prepared by experts
whom 7 employed 70 give me an idea ot
how useful these elevators would be in the
future
Now. IL the lines on that chart repre-
sentirg production and consumption FOR
the entire country in the years given are
correct. 1878 will see the last bushei Of
corn. Wheat oats. barley OF rye leave these
shores that this country will ever sell
abroad Here is an absolute demonstration
Of the question Of high prices which has
been bothering us
Secretary Wilson on the Soil.
The immense room vas still reverherat-
ing with the ticking Of telegraph instru-
when Secretary Wilson rose 70 address the
large audience sitting and standing about
the brokers ring in the centre. He had A
hard time making his voice carry and re
marked that he had never spoken before
'.in z room as big as an acre lot" But few
considered the room TOO big for his sub
-ect which was the conservation Of the
soil o. the United States. a more important
subject the speak maintained, than the
conservation Of any or al Of the other
natural resources Of the country. He said.
The tact that population increases faster
tran food sets rs thinking. We cannot
TIE balance Of trade for goods bought and
sol since the Civil War. independent Of
farm products has been heavily against
during that time and ees been paid
by exports from the farm.
II the factory and the shop arc 70 sell
broad -c square accounts without a farm,
surplus, they must produce cheap enough
L vii be 2 new ds- when We have TO do
that if ever and 1e shall have new sub
fects - talk about. u0heard OF in OUT land.
some -a--SeeinE men say this condition
Is NOT far distant 7 have not vet given
I'D hope Of preventing n.
The rTa Tor part Of crir people IN the Last
o.. being fed from the Nississipui VALLEY.
and lHe states of the south draw much
from --e same source 7 am well salts
being subjected gradually - the same IN
Wis" treatment that so seriously reduced
the soils east Of the AIeghanies and south
OF tho Ohio.