Jasper County Democrat, Volume 16, Number 103, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1914 — ARGENTINE CORN SCARE. [ARTICLE]

ARGENTINE CORN SCARE.

Here’s What an Old Grain Dealer Says of the Republican Papers’ Bugaboo. Editor Mark Foresman, of the Brook Reporter, who has been engaged in the grata buying business nearly all his life, in fact, having grown up in it from a boy, has the following comment on the Rensselaer Republican and other like thirdparty paper’s “sontinued story” on Argentine corn. Mr. Foresman, bear in mind, has been a republican all his life, and is now engaged in publishing a republican paper. His familiarity with the grain business makes his remarks on this subject or more than ordinary interest. Here is what he says of the Argentine corn scare in the last issue of his papsr: Editor Healy, of the Rensselaer Republican takes us to task on a few remarks we made in last week’s issue concerning Argentine corn. He says the Argentine corn is a thing to be feared mightily and the democratic party should be taken to task for unloading this price destroyer on the American public and that it is the equal if not the superior of the American product. ' If this he true will Bro. Healy inform us how American corn can be exported to Europe and sold in competition with it as has been done for many years. Take our corn in, the shipping centers at 60 cents per bushel, add 15 cents a bushel to land It in Liverpool and where does the American corn merchant find a buyer for this corn if the Argentine product (superior in quality?) can be purchased for less money? Is the American losing money? Is the European buyer asleep if he can purchase better corn from Argentine for less money to take our corn at the price the exporter must have to pay American prices. Is the government misleading the farmer when It does not. introduce this grade of corn for the American farmer to raise? In the past six years Argentine has raised an average crop of a little over 200 million bushels a year. Last year’s crop was 340 million bushels, an exceptional yield Of this amount the government official in the article mentioned very gingerly by the editor of the Republican, says we will receive from seven to ten million bushels of this. That, Bro, Healy, is three square meals for the American corn consumers On March of 1913 the government report showed in farmers hands jn round numbers 1,290,000,000 bushels of corn. Last year we raised a crop estimated at 2,540,000,000 bushels, making 3,7 40,000,000 bushels of corn. Our exports for 191 3 were less than 60,000,000 bushels. Deduct this amount and we have left the amount of 3,690,000,000 bushels, yjiis March the government report shows in farmers hands 870,000,000 bushels, and therefore we have consumed at home 2,820,000,000 bushels. Thfls shows a consumption of over 7,700,000 bushels per day. If you will go back to the big crop of 1912 and follow the same figures you will find our consumption even greater than this. So we say the importation of seven or ten million bushels of Argentine corn thi ß year was ueed as a scare. Add the whole Argentine crop of this , their greatest year to onr crop and you have barely as much corn as we consumed this year. And yet we believe in protecting the American producer. We did not agree with Mr. Taft wuen he had a law passed throwing the grain markets of the United Sates open to Canadian grain and ultimately the world. Did you, Bro. Healy? We refused to support him in 1912 Did you, Bro. Healy? i s Tree grain untier democratic administration any* uuierent from free grain under a republican adminiistration? When we sat in the councils of the republican party, Bro. cHealy, and the opposition yelled themselves hoarse abbut the country we called them “calamity howlers” and continued to conduct the affairs of state in a dignified and businesslike : manner. Have a care, Bro. Healy, or the title may be handed to you because you earn it. The greatest business men In the country have accepted the business situation and are putting their shoulders to the wheel to make this coming year one of business prosperity. Put away your - little hammer, Bro. Healy, but if you must use it try it on some subject with which you are familiar and let the grain .business alone.