The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-02-02
WILL REGULATE GRAIN PRICES
A Statement Prepared by the Depart
ment Of Agriculture Maintains That
Prices Will Be Better Regulated Un-
der the Agreement.


American grain trades was prepared
by an expert of the agricultural de-
partment:
The fear that the free admission in
to the United States of wheat and
other grain products of Canada may
prove disastrous to the farm value or
grains in the west and northwest will
disappear when the conditions that
really regulate the price of wheat and
other grains are given thoughtful con-
sideration.
The facilities for transportation,
and the cost thereof, are not such as
will give general distribution in the
United States of Canada's surplus
grain crops A considerable portion
will pass through the large markets
in the United States, by means OF
which the railroad, elevator and mill
ing interests will be benefited by in
creased business. But the farm price
in the United States, on which the
American farmer will center his at
tention, will be only little, If any,
disturbed. This price will follow the
trend of the S. grain prices in
the future just as it has in the past
If the aggregate supplies are large
the price will be low. If the sup
plies barely approximate the world S
requirements the price will be high
The advantage alike to the farmers
OF the United States and to those
of Canada lies in the fact that the
grain marketing facilities of the Unit
ed States, with their abundance of cap
ital and storage capacity, will attract
to this country much of the surplus
Canadian grain. which now, because
of the lack of Canadian storage ia
cilities, finds its way direct to Liver
pool, London and European continen-
tai markets. there to be sold below
the price prevailing in the United
States. Such dumping" of Canada's s
surplus grain Immediately after har-
vest tends to seriously reduce the
worlds price just at the time the
American farmer ordinarily parts with
the major portion of his holdings.
The free admission of Canadian
wheat and other grains to American
markets will steady and equalize
prices throughout the world. As the
American farmer produces more than
one-f fifth of all the wheat crop of the
world, and since the Canadian surplus
! of the wheat now closely approxi-
, mates the American surplus and prob
ably will within few years largely
surpassr it, the American farme
should not hesitate to asquesce in
any reciprocity arrangement between
Canada and the United States which
will give this country a greater hold
UPON the price making influences in
the worlds markets.
The ordinary difference in wheat
prices, as between our own northwest
ern states and the western provinces
of Canada. is from ten to fifteen cents
a bushel, the lower price representing
Canadian values. The effect of COM
petition for the Canadian surplus,
stimulated as it will be by American
exporting houses when the duty is re-
moved. will be to enhance the price
to the Canadian farmer above the
present basis. But the more immedi-
to effect. in which Amercina farmer
will be interested. is that the control
OF Canada $ surplus will thus pass to
the wheat. instead OF being dumped
into Liverpool, London or Hamburg,
will have the steadying influence of
our advanced commercial methods.
The American farmer may wisely
consider the losses he has incurred
in recent years by reason of the en-
ormous decline of the American ex-
port flour trade. The flour mills of
the United States have ample capaca-
ity to grind and market the wheat
crop of the entire north American
continent. but their export trade at
present is only about one-third its one
time volume. The advent of Canada
as a wheat producer with its 100 mil
lion to $50 million bushels of surplus
grain. has in recent years contributed
more largely than any other one influ-
ence to the decline of American ex-
ports of flour. The comparatively low
prices meted out in Liverpool and in
Europe to the Canadian exports of
grain. have placed foreign competing
mills in the lead, as compared with