The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-03-12
Second thoughts
On Wheat Crisis
No Need to Worry on Account
Of Wheat Shortage in the
United States

United States
Smiling cartoons depicting
rural prosperity and optomistic
assertions Of the farmers joy
over high wheat prices have
brought 4 sad denial from those
, supposedly thrice-bleast citizens
Observations on the prosperity
of the wheat-growers as a re-
suit Of the present high price of
wheat remarks one writer sar-
castically, care amusing, to say
the least" and another, a Ken
tueky farmer, writing to the
New York World, asserts vigo-
rously that to the farmer has
gone less than half the market
price Of the wheat, and that to
point him ,ut as to blame for
si0cent bread and the other
evils of high prices els an m
position on the consumer that is
criminal. - Summing up the po-
sition of The Kansas farmer,
who, it appears, has gained ev-
en- less advantage from the or
ing prices than have some Of his
neighbors, the Topeka Capital
criticizes an Eastern statement
that ''the Kansas wheat-crop
this year melted to the State
$1O0O0O,O0O more than last Aug
ust,' and remarks:
"What it netted Kansas is
another question. Some Of it
was sold for IS cents, some for
IS, and some was held for 81,
and sold off at that figure. Nee
eseari!y it was the farmers who
needed the extra profit least
who made It. Such is the way
Of life. The farmers most in
need got IS cents for their wheat
: When the farmer gets only
sixty five cents for wheat that
sells; for $1.65, it is natural
that many should wish to know
who gets the difference, and
whyi "Who owns the wheat?
demands the New York World,
among others; Chow much is
there of it? Where is it," And
the editor stoutly maintains that;
innestig alton should leave no
bin or elevator untouched, since
his is of much more Importance
than the question of a wheat
embargo.
While official inquiries and in
vestigations are slow in bringing
the facts to Light, there do not:
fail those who furnish us with
figures and facts already at
hand, and draw positive con-
illusions tlrerefrom. Several edi-
tors are satisfied, by the COM
parison of the actual wheat fig
ures for this year with those 5f
preceding years, that in the
words Of one writer ''there is
nothing in the known facts sof
the situation which warrants the
conclusion that the extraordinary
boost in the price of cereal is
due to speculation" Rather, we
must blame the world demand
alone. The editor of the Newark
News continues:
I'm order to clarity the situa-
tion, it may he explained that,
the public mind has been obsessed
by the fact that our domestic
wheat-crop in 1914 was the larg-
est on record, 100, 100000 bushels
larger than the year before, all
the while forgetting that the
WHEAT crop Of the world last
year was 100000, 900 bushels less
than in 1913.
present high prices, therefore
are due to completion between,
domestic consumers and export,
buyers, the latter being ready
to pay war prices because Of q
heavy shortage in the world IS
Supply.
There are no evidences of any,
plan to attempt to corner wheatl
Bright men in the trade do not;
generally make such breaks when
confronted with the largest crop
on record. Il would not be en4
tirely without reason, however,
If the heai-oWer-heels Of buying
Of wheat futures, both at home
and from abroad, might within
the next month or 90 result in
selfcornered stocks here. :"
Mayor Mitchel's letter to the
President, while admitting that
our wheat resources have not as
VET been too severely drained, ia
regarded as q hint Of the strong1
y 80. ,.,ask = : k1n .loc1ro hS1ikr, n$ ~: