Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-20
AGRICULTURAL HEAD TAKES AN
OTHER RAP AT PATTEN, DE-
cLAR,NG SUPPLY is suFFl-
GENT UNTIL NEW CROP comee
SPECULATOR TAKES
ISSUE WITH HIM
PATTEN SAYS FUTURE WILL
SHOW HIS POSITION is RIGHT;
MEANWHILE HE HAS CLEANED
uP.FoUR MILLION.

washington, D. c., April II.
sThere is sufficient wheat in the couil-
try at normal prices to make oreao
for America up to the time when lhe
new crop comes in," declared Score
tary of Agriculture Wilson .odas
anent the Chicago wheat corner, anu
those who attempt to keep the prices
I'm at the present rates expect TO se'
their money out of the common peo-
ple.''
Patten Disputes Wilson.
Chicago, April IT, James A. Pat
Yen the main figure in the wheat
corner" vigorously disputes Secre-
tary of Agriculture Wilson that there
was an abundant wheat supply. On MS
mart the secretary of agriculture as
serted that 100000 men who had no
personal interest at stake were en-
eaeed in collecting data for the gov
eminent He asserted that Mr.. Patten
was in the wheat business for money,
and that he would leave the public TO
iudae between the truth of Mr.. Pat
tents statements and the reports OF
his statistics gatherers.
at does not matter to me-, SAID
Mr.. Patten, .if Secretary Wilson has
half a million trusted citizens work
Ing for him. My information is better
than his. I would like to have Mr.. VA
con tell us where that 143,0000o0
bushels reserve wheat is. His report
March 1 was the Joke of the country.
He gets his reports from postmasters
and country merchants. while get
mine from the grain buyers VINO Hnow
where every bushel of wheat IS, ana u
called upon can name the farmer Ill
each section who is going to deliver
the wheat.
Scores Government Department.
.sThey talk about government crop
eyperts The department never had
any experts. Why, the men wnonl
they sent into the northwest about
two years ago didn't know any more
about wheat than know about pig
iron. / do not say Mr.. Wilson IS ne'
handling his department as we'll as
any of his predecessors, but ne mas
fallen into the rut of the men "h'
preceded him.
While many brokers were predicting
that the price of wheat would go down
Mr.. Patten repeated his opinion ex
pressed previously that it would go up
.eYou will see he added, "heSore
the year is out will be vindicated.
Patten Clears up $5,ooo,ooo.
The "Patten pool" has cleaned vi
between 100000 and s5,oo0,00o OF
the May wheat deal. OF this amour
elm Patten has pocketed fully two
thirds.
Market experts estimated yesterda
that the broker and his coterie ha
told to the public 20,000,000 hushel
of May wheat at an average profit c
20. cents, giving them a profit OF s4
100000 and besides this he has mad
a substantial profit on July wheat
saw nothing of the September and D.
cember options which he has scalDe
in the market for profit of from
to S cents, making his total winning
not much under $5,o00.O0O.
But there Is another side to TIL
picture of golden profits. While M
Patten has made killing" in Ma
wheat which has placed him beyor
the possibility of any loss, there al
still some 100000 or 100000 has
els of "real' wheat which has bee
sold to him by such large elevate
concerns as Armour, the Northwestcl
Elevator company and the Peavey
terests for delivery in May, which
will be forced to absorb
However, he still has hopes he W
be able to hold the price of ca
wheat at an abnormal level by n,
nipulating July and the more dista
options until he can dispose Of the ;
tual commodity.
Wilson's Answer to Patten:
washington, April 1.-THE Mar
report was correct. There were IA
100000 bushels of reserve wheat Y
know where it was.
That fellow in Chicago is engag
in a scheme to rob the consumer a
make money We don't get our
formation from postmasters. We {
it from farmers who are reliable, c.
scientious Secretary Wilson
FAVoRS LIBERAL LAW.
a.