The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-12-13

lists regarding the operation of the
wheat tariff and the effect of the
same" declares Mr.. Willard "Many
people believe that the tariff is of
no benefit TO the wheat growers,
since a considerable portion of our
wheat crop Is exported and the opin.
ION Is common that the price paid
Tor the surplus exported determines
the price paid for that part of the
crop which is used for domestic con.
sumption. This opinion is correct in
SO Jar as the soft wheat varieties
are concerned, since these are the
ones that enter principally into the
export trade, and none Of, this kind
OF wheat Is imported.
! he, tariff docs have a very d;roc,
'"''t on the price Of hard red
spring wheat and a slighter effect ON
the price Of hard winter wheat. as
all Of our wheat imports come from
Canada aud arc Of the hard red
spring variety. These imports com
pete with the hiRh-gluten wheat of
this country which is in great de-
mand among the millers to be mixed
with the softer whcats for raising
the quality Of the -four. Little or
none Of our hard red spring wheat
IS exported
Little Imported.
The durum varieties are nsed
largely in the manufacture of semo-
lima products. Scarcely any durum
wheat is imported into this county.
and for this reason the tariff has no
effect on the price.
"Production of hard red spring
wheat totalied 3O,0OO,OOO bushels in
North Dakota this year, the balance
of the crop being durum. Importa-
tions Of hard red Spring wheat from
Canada in 1922 totalled about l7,OO0,-
600 bushels, and the average i'm
portation from that country is in
he neighbornood OF $4,000. 900
bushels annually. Due to the low
grade of the North Dakota crop
this year, it is reasonable to assume
that the importation from Canada
Will exceed those of year ago if
the tariff remains at the present
figure. Already. Canadian shipments
have been made TO miliers as far
south as Kansas City and St. Louis.
During the period after the
United States Grain Corporation
ceased functioning from-the summer
Of 1922 to the summer of 1921 wheat
was duty free. A comparison of
the prices paid for No. / dark north
ern at the Minneapolis market and
the closest corresponding grade of
Canadian wheat, No. 2, shows the
price to average three cents higher
at Winnipeg from September, 1920
to September. 1921, when the duty
free provision existed from all prac,
teal purposes.
AT no time SINCE September, 1921,
| when the tariff started to operate
for protection of our wheat growers
has the price for Canadian No. 2
approached the Minneapolis price,
the average at Winnipeg being Sill
and att Minneapolis $l.30, American
prices having an advantage of 10
| cents per bushe. Due to the diff
| ference in grade. requirements, lit
is quite possible that the three-cent
difference during the duty-free
period was due to the different rela-
tive values Of the two grades, and
adding this figure would give an
effective tariff of % cents per
bushel, or eight cents below the
actual figuer, making the tariff
| operative to the extent of 73 per-
cent.
"The variation between Minnea-
polls and Winnipeg prices has ranged
| from to more than 30 cents per
bushel while the tariff has been in
operation. The spread generally
becomes greater in our favor at the
time when -impOrtations of Canada
are highest, or. from the other angle
impOrtations of Canadian wheat are