Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1921-02-18
THE WHEAT SITUATION
AT HOME AND ABROAD

The following analysis of the
wheat situation was given by Alonzo
r. Taylor before the meeting of the
American Association of Land Grant
Colleges, held at Springfield, Mass,
on the 18th of last october. While
there have been many developments
since that date. the figures and esti-
mates given are of great interest as
they throw much light on the present
and prospective price of wheat
when we state that price follows
the law of supply and demand, we
assume that need and demand are
synonymous that needs finds express
sion in buying power. A tabulation
of the needs of the wheat-importing
countries and of the exportable sur
pluses of wheat-eXporting countries
from this crop-year into the next
will be small or nothing. It is diff
cult to determine the requirements
of the importing nations. Last year
Europe, outside of Russia, con-
sumed, in terms of tons. about 80
per cent of the bread grains of the
pre-war figure for consumption. The
population of Europe, outside of
Russia, is probably a little lower
than it was in 1913 One can not
take the figure for pre-war consump-
ton. subtract from it the figure for
the crop of the present year and des-
ignate the difference as import re-
quirement One must first know the
extraction in milling, This has risen
in the various countries of Europe
from the pre-war practice of about
20 per cent to so. 50, 81, So and
even so per cent in different coun-
tries. The pre-war consumption OF
bread can not be used as the basis
of calculation. Everywhere in Eu-
rope people are consuming relative
ly more cereals and less of animal
requirement, one must know the
bread program as we'll as the crop
of the country.
Let France be cited in illustration.
The present crop of wheat and rye
in France, eX seed, is about 5000
600 tons If this were milled to 80
per cent and the consumption of
bread were to be the same as before
the war, this would carry the coun-
try through without import. Before
the war bread contributed about
so per cent of the calories of the
diet. During the war years this has
risen to 60 per cent If the present
bread consumption is to be main
tanned, France will need to import
over 50,000,000 bushels of wheat.
Another factor influencing the sit
uation US feeding to demonstrated
animals, In most of the countries
OF Europe it is more profitable to
the peasant to feed bread grains TO
domesticated animals than to sell
them to the government for milling
or to the mills direct For the Food
Controller the crop of bread grains
represents what he can secure for
bread, not what the department of
agriculture reports as the crop esti-
mate
final factor that must be taken
into consideration is price of bread.
The peoples of Europe increased the
consumption OF cereals during the
war and since the armistice. not
only because cereals were naturally
the cheapest foods but also for the
additional reason that bread was
substituted. During the war the
four-pound loaf was sold in the
United Kingdom and in Germany for
about the same price. Is cents in
our money. Last year France paid
the peasant IS francs per quintaI for
wheat and sold it to the miller fo,
95' The huge bread subsidies Of
European countries have exaggerat-
ed their budgetary deficits. One by
one the governments have come to
the realization that his practice can
not continue and the bread subsidies
are being suspended The result is
sharp increase in the price of
bread. During the coming year the
peoples OF Europe will pay more
than twice as much for bread as they