New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-18

doing that thev have done it entirely
on their own account" said Mr.. Arthur.
THE only instructions they had were
70 get five cents for each loaf from
customers after the advance on Febru-
arv 10. II is none of our business what
the retailers charge for bread. The
Ward company can make no answer TO
the charge, as IL had nothing to do
with the matter
Mr.. Arthur added that Arthur Glib
son. from whom Lasher testified he and
other drivers got their orders at a
meeting in his (Lasher's) district two
or three days prior to the advance IN
price. was not q branch manager, and
held no other official position IN the
company. He asserted that Gibson
worked under George Hoernley, man
ager Of the Bronx branch, and 1t was
difficult 10 designate Gibson's position
with the company. The witness, how
ever. included both Hoernley and Glib
son as having given the orders TO IN
struct customers TO sell the bread az
six cents.
Concurrent with the introduction at
Yesterdays hearings of interesting sta
tistics in regard to the present condi-
ton and future possibilities OF the
wheat crop, information which the At
tornev General had sought III vain from
the Department of Agriculture, Mayor
Mitchell received a "reassurlng' letter
form President Wilson. The Mayor re-
Gently wrote the President suggesting
that the announcement of authentic
figures BY the government relative TO
the wheat crop might relieve the pres
ent situation. In his reply PRESIDENT
Wilson said:
"The matter is one TO which the ad-
uinistration has, Of course, from the
first given the most careful and
thoughtful attention. The Agricultu-
raj Department is in possession OF all
the facts. About these facts some very
erroneous impressions obtain, and II IS
our purpose in the immediate future to
remove these misunderstanding by a
full and clear statement. They VIII, /
believe, reassure the country
Henry Heinzer, statistician FOR the
New York Produce Exchange, presented
figures and made estimates as to the
future movement of the wheat crop,
which indicated, in the opinion OF Mr.
Becker and Referee Nussbaum, two
significant conditions:
First. that large amount OF IN
visible" wheat was being held some
where for speculation, presumably IN
the elevators Of some of the large
Western grain companies.
Second. that at the rate wheat Is
now being exported TO Europe the
available surplus supply for export IS
in grave danger OF being exhausted
long before the first Of next July, when
the new crop comes in, and the supply
needed for home consumption sOrely
depleted. , ~
Mr. Henzer's hgures showed that
the exports of wheat had doubled from
July /. 1914, to February /. 1915, as
compared with a similar period the
year before.
Mr.. Hcinzer estimated that from the
first OF this month there remained
1913 900. 600 bushels Of wheat IN TINS
country which could be exported with
out making inrOads upon the supply
needed for home consumption. Tins
surplus would have TO cover the nye
months expectations 20 July IN order
properly to protect the supply needed
here. II has been generally estimated
that the exports were going out at the
rate OF between 100000 and 9,OOO,OOO
b Ishels a week, and there IS no indlca
ton that there will be any less demand
in the foreign markets for the next few
months. on this basis IL would not
take many weeks 10 exhaust the surplus
of 1913 900 900 bushels.
The witness was inclined 10 believe
that the recent rapid advance Of wheat
NJ a -four was due 20 economic reasons
rather than manipulations of the specu
lators in the home market.
Eff the countries Of Europe were at
peace," said Mr.. Heiinzer, this country
would be enjoying the lowest price for
-four in many years. The situation is
such that the American public has had
10 pay the highest price for -four in
sixteen wears. There has been almost
a panicky demand for wheat in the
European countries They have come
here and wanted wheat as quickly as
possible and az almost any price. | do
not believe that any big spectators
have been responsible for the advance
OF wheat going on since December l."
still, a large number of sagacious
men, big spectators. have taken adj
vantage Of the market and operated
much TO their advantage by purchasing
future options on wheat, haven't
they" asked Mr. Becker
YES, | believe that is true" replied
the witness.
The unexpected happened following
the testimony of the statistician. when
Ely kaufman. who runs a delicatessen
shop Al SEQ Seventh Avenue. was called
TO the witness stand The witness said
he sold a good deal of Wards bread
up to last week. Wednesday. when the
price advanced The day before the
Ward driver notified him that the price