Iditarod pioneer., 1915-12-11
WHEAT SURPLUS OF INDIA
 SECURED BY GREAT BRITAIN

experiment secured from India her entire surplus supply of wheat. The great trans action is described as follows in the London Observer by St. Nihal Singh:
 q fear that not many persons in or out side of London have connected India, in their minds, with the fall in the price of bread Yet the service that the great de pendency has performed in shipping wheat to this country by the million tons deserves to be warmly appreciated by every man woman and child in the United Kingdom
 By making available to Britain huge consignments of wheat which at the most conservative estimate are likely to exceed 2,00U, ,000 tons in the aggregate, India has foiled the machinatons of American specu- lators who are taking advantage Of the ne cessity of the allies and bleeding them Though millions of tons of Russian wheat still be locked up in the ports around about the Black sea, though the American har- vest is not yet on the market, and though the wheat kings of Chicago have been strain ing every nerve to keep the world-prce of wheat at an exorbltant level, the arrival Of successive consignmentS of Indian wheat IS steadily pulling down the rate.
 This marvellous result has been achieved by coup which, if 1t had occurred at a normal time, when the worlds attention was not absorbed by the war would have been reckoned one of the greatest enterprises which any country or any nation had ever undertaken It has required courage and enterprise on the part of the government ot India, loyalty and devotion to the empire on the part of the people of Hlndustan, and I+Io of tho hOmp hOr:- ties with the Indian administration to bring 1t to pass.
 Stated in a few words, the result has been accomplished in this wise: Towards the end of last year the price ct wheat reached a figure which placed it practically beyond the reach of the ordinary Indian con sumer Representative Indians, led by the Hon. Pandit M M Malaviya, appealed to the government of India to intervene and stop all exports for the time being. Pandlt Malaviya introduced into the imperial Iegls- lative council, of which he is 8 member, a resolution which read as follows:
 "'That this council recommends that the governor general in council may be pleased to prohibit all export of wheat from India until the price of that commodity comes down to 9 seers labout &lS) per rupee 1s 4d), and whenever 1t rises above that ratio to take such other steps as he may be advised to bring the price of wheat down to reasonable level and to maintain 1t at such level
 "While this resolution was being discussed the member for commerce and industry de clared that the government had resolved to take over the whole control of the export trade. What we propose IS that wheat tor exrort shall only be bought on bel alf ct government and only shipped on behalf of government We shall therefore prohibit the export of wheat, except on behalf of the crown. from April l, 1915, to March 3l ot next year.
 At the time the government decided to take this action it could not be foreseen just how the experiment would turn out. But time has shown the wisdom of the bold step then taken.
 Considering the question from the purely Indian point of view, the action Of the gov ernment has proved a great boon. Indians have been able to buy wheat at an eXcep- tionally low figure, considering that the war is going on.
 Hooking at the matter from the point Of view of the government of India, it is now assured very substantial profit out of its wheat corner The gain in the aggregate will be several millions sterling. The exact amount cannot, of course, be stated, but some idea of it c2n be formed from a study of the price that the government has been paving for the wheat in India, plus the expenses incurred for shipping 1t to Brtain and comparing it with the price that It has been obtaining for 1t in this country. he price paid for the wheat in India that was sheught for the early shipments averages, l think. little more than 31 skilings quar- ter. The commissions paid in India and n this country, shipping, insurance and otHer charges added about 20 st1i!Iings to the quarter In other words, the wheat dellV- cred in this country IS costing the govern ment of India about 50 shiillngs quarter. The price that the early shipments realized on the Baltic Exchange ranged around about 65 shiIlings a quarter. The recent shipments that have arrived here nave fetched much lower prices, but 1t must be kemembered that the price paid for the wheat in India has also decreased. Even now the margin between the amount real ized and the out-of pocket expenses leaves handsome profit to the government.
 'In working out the scheme the govern ment of India has shown wisdom iE many directions First of all, it has exported only Indias surplus wheat and thus has not deprived the Indian consumer of his staff of life I may remark incidentally, that in spite of the erroneous opinion in ths country to the contrary, considerable DOT ton of India's population depend upon wheat, and not rice, for their sustenan e. But this year nature has been very klnd to India, and she has reaped bumper crop Some 6,0OO,000 acres which last year were under cotton and other crops were sown to wheat. making a total of more than 32, 100000 acres under wheat this year No wonder that the surplus that India can spare to feed Britain without at all suffering her self is expected to exceed 100000 tons:
 Second, the government has promised +o Iook upon any surplus revenue that 1t