Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-02-25
SPUDS MIGHT BE
BOOSTED AGAIN
SHORTAGE OF POTATO CROP IN
AMERICA WILD RESULT IN
BIGGER PRICE.
TULSA Farmer HOPEFU7
Same Conditions In Enropc-Lo0lS
for Dollar and Half Price by
April First.

Tulsa county farmers are looking
forward TO a price of sl5e per hushcl
on potatoes IN the near future. Ac-
eording to figures compiled by
prominent produre firm of Tulsa the
supply OF potatoes on hand January
fell su far short OF the supply ON hand
at the same date last year, and Of
the actual demands OF this country,
! that the only escape for the nation Is
Il reduction Of the tariff on an entire
abrosatlon of II for three months.
Unless something Is done, says this
firm, the price will ge up to $i.6O a
bushel by April, and not many bushels
to be had at even lhat sky-high price
Thine was when the American far
mer was content TO grow potatoes at
40 cents bushel, but for the last
year he has had prices ranging from
90 cents to 81 bushel. If the duty
We're taken off right now, the price
would continue at 81 until new po-
tatoes begin coming in.
There are potatoes to be had in for-
eign countries, but they are not I'm the
countries where freight Ia sufficiently
low to make 1t possible TO import
them and at the same time pay the
duty exacted by the present law, I'm
der the Dingley tariff, potatoes paid
at the rate of Is cents busheli to-
day they pay 80 cents
with short crops all over Europe
and the supply on hand SO far short
Of the ordinary supply, the company
says, there IL nothing for 1t but a
potato famine for the next five
months, They point to the fact that
in France and Germany, when the
crop fails, the government comes 20
the Rescue OF the consumer and takes
off the duty for a period. This, they
say ought to bo done by our govern
menG
1he official report Of the govern.
ment on the stock Of potatoes on
hand January / will be made puGllc
in few days. This firm puts for
ward ils cwn estimate, and IS wiling
to stand by 1t. that these figures will
show a shortage OF between S0,0)0,-
600 and 9O,O0O,O0O bushels under tina
supply of last January. These fig
ures do not include the supply In the
Western and Pacific states, but It Is
said that they will have none to export,
but will be importing before the new
crop comes In.
There were on hand January /, ac-
cording to this firm 4S,S00,00O BUSH
els of potatoes. This is 30,0OO,OOO
below the previous low record in 1903.
On January 1. 1911, the supply was
12S,000.000 bushels, and the year be-
fore that 140,000,000. on January l,
1909, the former low record year, the
supply was 100000 bushels.
situation Abroad Has No Relief
The potato situation abroad offers
no relief adequate to meet the de-
mands here, and Scotland, which In
1908 and 1909 when our crop fell so
low that we were obliged to import in
enormous quantities, sent 2,6S4,OOO
bushels, cannot be depended on to
send nearly so many this year. Canada
which sent us 1,1S1.000 bushels has
none to export and has buyers now
in Englanl, expecting to import.
England, which furnished 1,7S5,OOO
bushels. has a short crop. Holland
and Belgium have none to sell, and
Germany has been blWing abroad
Mexico's crop has not been produced
because of civil war, and she viii be
an importer instead of an exporter.
ireland, which sent us about 100000
bushels, is the one fortunate coun-
try, but her prices will be very high,
because many countries are bidding
for her crop
During the week New York received
100, 600 sacks of potatoes, on which a
duty of 20 cents n sack was paid. Last
year importations began in October,
though the normal time even I'm short
years is December, and up to the first
of the 1912 the total importation was
estimated at 100000 sacks, all of this
amount coming from England, Scot
land and Ireland, representing a third
Of their total surplus
Farmer sells Furniture, Stoves and
Z. Tot, J,,