New-York tribune., 1919-01-30

demand for their flour assured. Nor have
Canadian millers forgotten the supposed
attempt to capture their valuable -four
trade with the British West Indies, when
the United States offered to take care of the
flour requirements Of these islands daring
the period OF wheat shortage as being the
closest source CT supply.
Who Shall Serve
| he Bacon?
The charge probably unfounded. but
nevertheless boldly made by at least one
newspaper CORES spondcnt in dispatches from
Ottawa and Indicative of the feeling IN
certain circles in Canada that Mr.. Hoover
has fed all the contracts in sight for bacon
to United States packers and that the cx-
port market for Canadian pork products
was left entirely outside his plans for pro
vlslonlng the Allied and neutral nations,
resulting in the abrupt suspension Of over
sea orders and most critical situation for
the Canadian packing industry. does not
add to the comfort of tie millers or in
crease their confidence that Canadian mill
ing interests be. or VIII be- protected
from possible loss of export markets. 1t
is not alone the millcrs who are on the
anxious seat. however, because a plentiful
supply Of bran and shorts -otfals from the
milling process are exceedingly Important
TO the livestock industry in the Dominion
especially as Canada produces comparative-
ly little corn, AMI that only in Ontario.
The Canadian government has consist
entity been wary Of d guaranteed price for
wheat The principal reason probably was
that guarantee seemed unnecessary. be-
cause Canadian prices were determined
largely. although not always exactly by
prices in the United States The present
situation is that the price Of Canadian
wheat OF the crop of 1913 was fixed BY the
Board Of Grain Supervisors. Western wheat
in store at Fort William and Port Arthur
being priced at So AZ per bushel for No.
hard. guarantee for the 1918 production
was suggested but the government replied
ihat the British authorities would purchase
the entire eXportable surplus at the fixed
price. The Ottawa administration has pro
Vlded the necessary credits to finance such
purchase, and arrangements now being com
pleted make 1t probable that the unshpped
surplus OF wheat Of the 1918 crop can be
disposed of al the price fixed The export
market for -four milled from 1918 wheat
is more uncertain, however. Great Pritain
wants the wheat because 1t can be millcd
in England and the oifals arc in demand
for the British livestock industry. Pcrmis-
sion has been granted 10 Canadian millers
to produce patent hours for export to New
foundlaAd and the West Indies, so that they
may meet United States competition in
these markets. but the storage dcpartmcnts
of mills in all parts Of Canada arc gluttcd
with standard -four intended for export.
large supplies of -four at the Atlantic sea.
board remain unsod and many Canadian
mills are being forced to close for lack
Of present market
50 far as the 1919 crop is concerned. the
Dominion government is not committed to
any guarantee. 1t has actcd throughout the
war rather in the capacity O representative
OF the imperial authorities than as A pur
chaser itself. and has assumed no direct re-
sponsibihty other tnan TO sec that credits
were provided Some winter wheat is
planted in Canada, largely in Ontario, but
the area this year although about II per
cent higher than in 1917. is estimated AT
only $4,000 acres and winter wheat repre-
sents only small part of Canada'5 annual
wheat production. This fact probably cX-
plains Why the question of a guarantee for
TINS year has not yet been discussed in
public TO any great extent
There has been some call IN the news