The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-07-09
A QUESTION FOR HANDsHAKING SAM

The Belgrade Journal devoted approximately a hafpage of
its last issue to the type of editorial comment of which its editor
appears to be fond, but which aside from exposing its lack of
editorial good taste, demonstrates only one thing: the entire
ignorance of Handshaking Sam Hampton on the subject under
discussion concerning which he has attempted to advise the farm
erS. That is the effect of the wheat rebate or miLing-in-bond
provisions of our tariff law on wheat prices in the United States
The vulgar nine-tenths of the Journal article is beneath the
notice of every decent citizen, as it should be of every self-respect-
ing newspaper, so the Courier contents itself with expressing a
nIo curiosity as TO how the members and officers of the Ganatn
County Farm Bureau, an excellent, purpOseful organization, relish
the sort of material which Handshaking Sam continues to issue
under the label Official Paper of the GaUatin County Farm
Bureau"
The Journal rectes figures showing exports of American
flour for 1921, 1922 and 1923-16,179y956; 1~5,796,824; and a.,
882,714 barrels respectively-as if in some vague way these
figures had anything to do with wheat rebate or mningin-bond.
The Courier will go the Journal one better, and mention that in
1921 total wheat exports from the United States, including flour
in terms of wheat, amounted to 2~79,4O7,0OO bushels; in 1922,
2~21,923,OOO bushels, and in 1923 approximately 5000 600
bushels. But this was American, not Canadian, wheat and flour,
and while the figures have nothing to do with miling-in-bond or
wheat rebates, they show concusivey why the American wheat
market has followed the world market so closely, instead of raising
domestic prices the height of the tariff above world prices. It
is the price at which this surplus sells that, generally speaking
fixes the price at which the rest of the wheat sells.
The Journal says that under the tariff, Canadian flour is
shut out from America. AS a matter of fact. flour is imported
from Canada to be mixed with domestic four-and exported. under
exactly the same drawback provision as applies to wheat. This
again demonstrates that Handshaking Sam in his advice to the
farmers had better cOnine himself to vague generaities and not
expose his lack Of acquaintance with facts by getting specific.
When Canadian flour enters American domestic trade, however.
It pays the duty, and when Canadian wheat enters the American
I-arhet, either as flour or wheat, it also pays the full duty.
Neither the wheat drawback or milngin-bond provisions
affect the domestic price of wheat, but the existence of a surplus
above domestic needs, which must sell abroad at world price. does
affect our domestic prices materially. 1t was to dispose of this
surplus, and make tariff protection fully effective for wheat, that
agricultural America demanded the McNary-Haugen bill.
The Ganatin County Farm Bureau endorsed the McNary-
Haugen bill empha1cany. The Montana Farm Bureau federation
worked enthusiastically for it, and sent. its president, W. I. Stock
ton II this county, to Washington to do fine and effective work
Tor 1t. Congressman representing three-fourths of the area of
the United States, voted for this bill, which however, was finally
defeated by the nearly solid democratic south and bv the Atlantic
seaboard states, in combination.
ms leads the Courier to the question which it wishes to nut
up to Handshaking Sam Hampton to answer through the Belgrade
Journal: While the Montana and GaIatin county farm bureaus
were stralnlng every nerve for the McNary Haugen bill, where
was Handshaking Sam? Specifically, the Courier suggests that
ne tell his readers if ne wrote any letters to the Montana senators
or representatives In Congress concerning the McNary-Haugen
bill; and II ne did, was his position one of support for, or opposi-
ton to, the measure?