Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-12


strength and stature Of q great nation.
And the benefit to US would be enor-
nous. II we could sweep away tariff
between the two countries, 1t would have
the effect upon our trade of another
Louisiana purchase. II her commerce is
so important to us when she has only
100000 people, what would be the mag
nitude Of our trade when she should have
25,UN.OOO? In trade it is with nations
as it is with men, You increase the pur
thereby increase your own prosperity.
The Agricultural Interests.
reflections have been made to the bill
in the name Of the agricultural interests.
In 1909 that country raised 166, TAI, 600
bushels of wheat. of which about 81 Co.,
600 were exported either as wheat or>in
the form of -four We now impose q
duty of % cents a bushe1 upon wheat.
Under the proposed bill that duty is en-
tirely removed against Canadian wheat.
Both countries have long been exporters
of wheat. although the surplus Of Can
ada is steadily Increasing, and our surplus
as steadily diminishing. And yet we
raise very considerable surplus. In the
year 1909 our exports of wheat amounted
to more than 114,OOO. 600 bushels. In the
same year the exports Of wheat from the
United States to Canada were greater
than from Canada to the United States.
There is little risk in the assertion that
our tariff has never affected the home
price OF our wheat, however beneficent
1t may appear upon the statute books to
our farmers. The prices of wheat in the
United States. Canada, Russia and other
Wheat-exporting countries are substan-
tally adjusted with reference to the
Liverpool price.
May Become Importers Of Wheat.
THAT condition is likely to continue
into the near future. but the growth OF
our population is such that our con-
sumption is pressing upon production,
and the day is not far distant when we
shall become importers of wheat. When
that time shall come, and, instead of
having surplus, we shall not produce
enough for our needs, and we shall be-
come a buyer, rather than a seller in the
open market, obviously that circumstance
Will raise rather than lower the worlds
price. That price will be fixed by the
worlds supply, compared with the de-
mand. The necessity of importing wheat
tory, make any tariff we may impose
upon its importation a factor in fixing
our domestic price. When that condi-
ton shall exist will 1t be desirable to
to our consumers the price of wheat in
the worlds market? Such q course would
certainly not be necessary to the pros
per1ty OF our wheat growers, who are
prospecting with their prices fixed by the
general supply and demand of the open
market. and who. indeed. have never
known any other condition.
1T would be inhuman to the great mass
OF the people to enter upon the policy of
increasing by law at the moment that
there should be domestic scarcity the
price of the bread they eat. in order to
increase the profits Of an already profit
able industry. When that time shall
come, 1t will be blessing to all our peo-
pie, and in q larger measure to those who
are poor. that they can turn to the ns2r-
by wheat fields of Canada. The most
Odious of all taxes ever devised by gov
ernments is a tax upon bread That food
has place near the elemental SUBJ
stances near air and water. which are
necessary to the preservation Of our lives.
Such a tax is not felt by the rich and
well-to-do. but 1t bears with especial
weight upon the poor. For the govern
ment to intervene artificially to increase
the price of bread would be to add to the
load borne by those already Overbur-
dered, who can only with difficulty pro-
cure the means of subsistence, and 1t
would tend to increase suffering and
shorten life The American farmer will
any such way Certainly he is not
likely to borrow trouble over a condition
that may not appear for decade.
Would Not Lower Wheat Prices.
But 1t should not be inferred from the
foregoing that we shall not derive any
immediate advantage from the removal
Of the duty on wheat. Our tariff dixie