Evening star., 1923-09-23
GET WORLD WHEAT
DATA FOR COOLIDGE
u. S. Experts Find Production
368, 100000 Bushels Above
Pre-War Average.

While President Coolidge is CIV
ing further study to the question
of relief for the agricultural in
dustry, experts of, the Agricultural
Department continue their task of
preparing data on the. world wheat
situation, which Secretary wallace
will lay before the President and the
cabinet this week.
Latest information reaching the
department Is that Europe, exclusive
of Russia, will produce this year
about 211, 100000 bushels more of
wheat than was, produced last year.
while the production in this country,
Canada and Mexico, will be about
10, 900, 900 bushels below that of last
year. -..
Above Pre-War Average.
The European crop is estimated at
1,227. .674. 900 bushels. while that of
North America is placed at 1,265,331,-
600 bushels. or about 6S,100.000
bushels more than the pre-war aver
age yearly production for the five
years, 1s09-1913.
have been closely balanced for two
years" said an official of the Agri-
culture Department, but just now
the weight appears slightly on the
supply side. With the present course
of prices it is not strange that wheat
producers are discouraged. nor that
they are giving ear to unusual pro-
posals which promise aid.
However, men are not lacking in
tho belt who realize that world wide
| readiustment in wheat seems inev-
table. The far-sighted men already
are carefully sauging next years
production costs and are preparing to
meet the competition of the world S
cheaper lands and labor-or else are
preparing to grow something other
than wheat.
Australia Gives Aid.
"The matter that still is the very
root of such agricultural disturbance
as exists is the disparity which per-
.slsts between prices of things that
farmers have to sell and those they
must buy"
Information comes from Australia
that the commonwealth government has
decided for the 1924 season to again
assist wheat growers by means of guar
anteed prices. The guarantee will be
the same as for the last crop, cents
a bushel at country stations, plus 16
cents to cover freight and handling
charges. The government has an
nounced that in the 1924-25 season the
industry is expected to make it's own
financial arrangements.
Assistance for the western producers
of wheat by increasing the tariff duty
on that commodity was suggested to
President Coolidge yesterday by Repre-
sentative Anderson, republican, of Min
mission of agricultural inquiry. The
representative declared the present duty
of SO cents bushei on wheat is abb
sorbed by the differential in prices as
between the United States and Canada
and that an increase in duty would re-
suit in an immediate advance in the
price in the Minneapolis market.
Could Increase Duty.
President Coolidge has authority
under the tariff act to increase or de-
crease duties. within a radius of SO
per cent, but no change could be
made until there had been an inves-
tigation into the differences in the
cost of production in this and COM
peting countries, which differences
would form the basis for any change
of tariff rates. Moreover, the new
rates could not become effective until
thirty. days after they had been pro-
claimed by the President.
At the Offices of the Tariff Commits
sion it was stated that such an in
quiry with regard to wheat could be
made more expeditiously than could
an investigation affecting most other
commodities, as the differences in
costs In the United States and Canada
would be the controlling factor,
There was no estimate, however, of
the length of time that might be nee
essary for such an investigation.