Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1914-07-31
LAUGHLIN ACTIVE IN
WHEAT PRICE FIGHT.

LduSilllll, dSSlSldll Ddllh COIllililo
SiOner, went up to his home at
MarySville, early in July, to at
tend the quarterly meeting OF the
Citizens State Bank, of which he
is president, and to look after
threShing and selling his wheat,
this Marshall county banker and
farmer, who, incidentally, is a
candidate for state treasurer, was
aStoniShed to find that all he
could get for his wheat was 62
cents, while on the same day, No.
2 wheat was selling in the river
markets for export at 81 IL cents.
The local elevator men showed
him their card bids which did not
justify their paying over 81 cents,
and then left them a very narrow
margin for handling. Laughlin
decided to stack his wheat and
investigate. He consulted a num-
ber of Kansas elevator men, and
they all made the same complaint
that they thought they were not
being sold as the market justified.
IT looked yery much like a few
few big fellows in the wholesale
business knew the Kansas farm
erS would be forced to sell their
wheat early and that they could
buy it at their own price. The
Kansas country elevator men areI
as a rule, a fine body, and quite
willing to handle on a very close
margin, but they are not Specui
latorS. They buy on bids and
sell as soon as bought. They
cannot afford to risk a fluctuatl
ing market and investigation del
veloped that the freight rate from
an average county in Kansas, was
around five cents per buShel, and
allowing an additional four cents
for commission, the local elevai
tor mans expenses for handling
and other charges, making in all
nine cents, which added to 81
cents, amounted TO II cents on the
Kansas City market, it left eleven
cents margin unaccounted for.
Laughlin then went to Salila
TO consult his personal friend,
Maurice McAuliffe, who is preSi-
dent of the Farmers Union, and
who confirmed Laughlin'S fig
ureS, and because of the unsatiS-
factory conditions was also stack
ing his wheat. The two conclud-
ed to take the matter up with
members of the Kansas delega-
ton at Washington, and the re-
suit was the Congressman Doo-
little resolution calling for a con-
greSSional investigation of mar.
ket conditions in Kansas City
While the investigation has bare.
ly commenced, the result is be-
ginning to be apparent, as the
price has already advanced sew
eral cents to the Kansas farmer,
and indications are that before
the government committee can
ever complete its report, the un-
explained margin will have dis
appeared.
Millions of bushels of wheat
were sold in Kansas City, long
ago on contract for export a
prices that would permit the pay
ing of 75 cents to the Kansas far.
mer, and our Kansas wheat is fill.
ing those CONTRACTS at 62 cents
Enemies of the Democratic ad.
miniStration are also complain.
ing about the Wilson adminiStra.
tiOn having ruined our wheatmar.
.ket, while Laughlin, in his speech
eS in his race for state treasurer
has been claiming that whea
selling in Kansas City at 50 l.
cents in face of the best crop evel
grown, puts the Wilson admins
tration in the clear. He recalls
that a few years ago under Roose.
velt, with a much smaller crop
Kansas farmers had to sell at 81
cents.
That was in 1906, when Kansa
produced only SO million bushels
as compared to 154 million bush.
els estimated for this year. Ir
August, 1906, Kansas farmer!
sold as low as So to SO cents anC
it dropped to 6S IL in St. Louis
Millions of bushels of our whea
are being headed at Kansas sta
tions every day, billed direct t.
New Orleans, for export, and
someone outside the state is get
ting from six to eleven cents ou
of it without so much as Seein