The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-06-23
And Especially on Those Who
Grow Spring Wheat in the
Northwest. ;:


WASHINGTON. June 23.-An an
nouncement of special interest to the
spring-wheat farmeFs. Of the United
States was given out today by Haivor
Stevenson, representative In Con
gress from the Ninth Minnesota dis
trtct. Mf. Steeherson's statement
| shows that the Democratic tariff law
has cut the prices Of spring5wheat by
nearly the amount of the duty which
the Republican tariff law had Inn
posed. -. -.,--..-,
The Importance OF the statement
to spring-wheat growers may be seen
in the fact that Mr. STEVENSON first
obtained the daily wheat quotations
in six Of the big wheat markets Of the
country, Minneapolis, Duluth, Chica-
go. st. Louis, New York and Kansas
City, and also In Winnipeg for per-
Tod Of three months each year for
four years. The months are October,
November and December, and the
years are from 1910 to 1913 inclu-
sive.
These quotations the Minnesota
representative submitted to the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor,
which computed the averages for each
year. These averages, which may
be regarded as official. show that
the duty under the Republican, tar
III law increased the price which the
/ spring-wheat farmer received for his
product by nearly the amount of the
duty. although there have been
fluctuations, according to variation
in the supply and demand" says Mr..
Stevenson, there is no other way,
generally speaking, to explain these
price tables than upon the theory
that the duty increased the price
that the spring-wheat farmer re-
ceived for his product.
Mr.. Steenerson's reasons for going
so thoroughly into. the subject is be-
cause of the continued debates in
Congress relative to tariff duties and
prices. In these debates, Il has been
that the lowering or removal of duty
on foreign products under the I'm
derwood law has not reduced, or
tended to reduce farm prices of these
products in the United States. The
Democrats have appeared in some
cases to have the best of this argu-
ment, since they have asked How
could a man buy wheat in Minnea-
polls and export 1t to Liverpool I'M
less the Liverpool price was higher
by twenty-five cents bushel, rep
resenting the cost of transportation,
handling and insurance?" The DEM
ocrats have been pointing out as con-
elusive proof of this argument, that
some thirty or forty million bushels
of wheat were exported from this
country last year.
We of the spring-wheat belt of
the northwestern states" declares
Mr.. Stevenson, in his statement.
have long known that, however log
ical this argument may be, 1t did not
hold good as to that commodity, for
the price of spring-wheat In the
northwest has not been the New York
or seaboard price, minus the freight
and handling charges. It has been
from one to twenty cents bushel
more than that. General prices are
governed by supply and demand and
their rise or fall is independent of
tariffs, but local prices are relative.
and their relation to general prices
is governed by local tariffs. Thus.
he declares that the premium ON
spring-wheat. according, to market
reports from Minneapolis Is now
eight or ten. cents over the New
York prices when you take out the
freight and handling charges. In
1910. under the Republican tariff. Il
was about twenty cents. Mr.. Steen-
erson says the Democratic argument
that prices are now higher than 4
year ago has nothing to do With the
case.