Evening star., 1917-03-25
BY CHARLES M. PEPPER.

~ ANADA's wheat crop this year
III is likely to go to England in
N a bulk. Much of this crop is pro-
duced on the lands of Ameri-
cans from the western states who went
to the Dominion years ago and bought
cheap lands.
The proposed purchase by the i'm
perial government, acting through the
Dominion government, is one of the
stupendous transactions growing out of
the war. 1t is taken as a matter of
course. where three years ago the mere
suggestion would have been derided as
fmpracticable.
The British government began pur-
chasing on a wholesale scale nearly two
years ago, when it took the bulk of the
Argentine crop, and saw to it that there
were no cargo carriers for the re-
mainder, SO that the price was kept
down. This was purely an international
business transaction. without any SEN
timent on the part of either buyer or
seller, although the Argentine people
are favorable to the allies.
Argentine wheat is an uncertain re-
lance, however. since the production
varies even more than in India or in
Australia. This year the drought and
other adverse conditions made the Ar
gentine crop very short and was an
important factor in making certain the
world shortage of the next twelve
months.
There has been some compensation for
the Argentine shortage in the phenome-
of he troll
This has mounted to nearly $50, ,000, 900
bushels. an increase of approximately
90 per cent over the average crop dur
ing the last five years. But next year
there may be a reversal of form in
Australia's wheat production and Ar
gentina may continue her low record.
Consequently, it is important that the
British government assure every pos
sible source of supply, and Canada is
the most productive of all the worlds
granaries from which England is now
able to draw.
BY the Canadian wheat crop is meant
that of the Canadian northwest. While
the eastern provinces produce wheat.
they rarely have a surplus for export,
and at times draw on the western coun-
try.
The Canadian northwest. In the sense
of wheat production, means, chiefly the
provinces of Manitoba. Alberta and
Saskatchewan. British Columbia does
not produce much wheat.
Manitoba for many years was iden-
titled in peoples minds with thA wheat
production of the Canadian northwest,
and for while it was doubted whether
the area extended much beyond that
region. But experience has shown that
it does and Manitoba is now less con-
sidered in the light of future produc-
ton than the other provinces. because
they still have large areas of un-
cultivated land.
There is also the Peace river region
fu
sibilities are yet unknown, and can
only be tested by experience.
How much wheat the Canadian north
west can produce is mooted question
and has been the subject of heated
controversies. Some experts have placed
it at a billion bushels, while others
have put the figures low as 5O0OO,-
900 bushels. The latter estimate clear
ly is too low. since the production in
1915 was close to 343.000O0O bushels
In 1913, owing to a crop shortage, it
did not exceed 141. 100000 bushels. Last
year the production was about 100000
900 bushels For the coming season
there is reasonable ground to antici-
pate yield of 225.0OO.000 bushels, so
that the British government may feel
assured Of something like 20OOOO,0Oo
bushels from Its Canadian colony TO
feed itself and its allies.
The project of taking over the entire
Canadian crop follows the purchase last
year of the Australian wheat and wool
crops and the New Zealand mutton pro-
duction. What the sturdfly independ-
ent colonists call the correct method
is to be lowwed. The Dominion gov
ernment acts as the agent of the i'm
perial government and the transac-
ton is made through it. so that there
is no encroaching on the authority of
the Dominion. The Dominion govern
ment expects to arrange the purchase
through the farmers organizations of
the northwest. These include the west
ern grain-growers, united farmers and
similar organizations. which act for
the individual farmers.
The price is the delicate question that
has to be determined, but the imperial
government, in providing itself with
the means Of malntenance during the
war, does not hagRle over details. The