The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-01
ONE-DOLLAR WHEAT.


To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
The publication of our lone Dollar Per
Bushel for Wheat bulletin has caused
much unfair comment because of misun-
Outstanding of the subject or from willful
design to injure the movement for equitable
values by the great farming classes. From
st. Paul comes word from the great rail-
roader, James j. Hill: Dollar wheat is
good cry, but the way to get dollar wheat
is to open UP foreign markets to absorb
Orient and untouched commercial fields to
our wheat" Mr.. Hill and his associates
own railroads that cross the continent, and
naturally they would like to promote the
sales of our fine grain in the Orient. This
is commendable, and the farmers have
been waiting these many years for the gov
ernment-or other powers that pretend to
do things--to enlarge the markets for their
products. Have they done it? When will
they do 1t? The farmers now propose to
take the matter into their own hands, and
the fifth declaration of objects OF their So
ciety contains this: "To open up new mar
kets and enlarge old Ones" However dol
lar wheat need not wait on new markets,
as all will agree, if they understand the
situation as presented by the official organ
Of the American Society of Equity and
remove the uncertainty of price fixing on
farm products and always secure profit
able prices.
Mr.. Hill also says: "The time has come
when the United States should take steps
to strengthen the pockets of the backbone
of the nation-the farming class. If the
iron and steel market. which we have so
long nursed, is now at a point where we
think 1t can bear a dminution of our en-
ergy to maintain ii, let us turn our at
tention to the opening of markets for our
q prio nd too md
nail at this for a period" Promises are
what our farmers have been fed on since
the writer was one of them, but no set of
people can be trusted equally with those
interested when it comes to execution The
farmers doA not need a guardian; all they
need is am awakening, and they are so
numerous, so wealthy, and withal, they
control our food and clothing supply and
will be so powerful that they can and
will open up new markets when the time
comes, but 1t is not necessary to wait
for such new markets to get an equitable
reward for services rendered. The equity
of 81 wheat is with the farmers now. 1t
rests with the farmers themselves as to
whether they Will get it.
Going again to the Northwest, / quote
from IAN Old Trader" in Minneapolis and
published in the Indianapolis Journal May
getting about SOC for No. / northern wheat
in the Minneapolis market. There is no
old wheat left to speak of In the North
west If it were merely case of available
supply against prospective demand wheat
would be 81 right now. But there is a big
winter WHEAT hs crop y, t and nar
parts of Texas"
This ..Old Trader admits that wheat is
worth 81 per bushel now on the basis of
supply and demand, yet the farmer is de-
prived of zoe bushel because he is so
unfortunate as to have good crop in
prospect
conditions? None on earth Let me analyze
the situation. Wheat is now worth 81 per
bushel on its merits. So says "Old Trader
and he knows. Last year we had 670,0000O0
bushe, crop, the second largest ever raised.
The year before we had $50, 100000 bushel
crop, the largest one ever raised, and
which was nearly equal to two ordinary
crops. Notwithstanding all this, IAN Old
Trader says wheat is worth 81 per bushel
now on its merits, but we will give the
probably less 81 than bushels isoR
prospect and deprive the farmers of $780,
0OO.000 to $l50,000,OO0 on such fiifnsy excuse
honesty and justice, if wheat is worth 81
per bushel now, after two of the largest
crops in the country ever raised, why is the
coming crop not worth II In the farmers
posed of it?
Such Inequalities as these are response
BILE for the existence of the American So
ciety of Equity. national cooperative So
ciety of farmers, which takes price-making
out of the hands of spectators and gam
blers and puts 1t In the hands Of board
various lines of agricultural products. This
board of directors will act as a clearing
house in fixing values on all farm prod
ucts. finding the best markets and direct
ing the flow of farm products to such mar
kets so as to always keep the market in a
seeking condition. This is all that is nec-
essary to maintain prices on an equitable
basis.
If farmers, editors and others would take
the trouble to understand this movement
there would be less off-hand injurious and
unjust criticism. the great and good move
ment would be promoted, and at last the
backbone of our countryside farmers
would be strengthened. equity would pre-
vail as never before, every legitimate en-
terprise would be benefited and strength
ened, and its security and permanency
guaranteed. j. A. EVERITT,
President of A. s. of Z.
TxI 10