The Washington times., 1915-01-09
CONGRESS MAY SCAN
ADVANCE IN WHEAT
Embargo on Exports Proposed
as Bread Threatens to Go
to Eight Cents a Loaf.
CONTINUED from First page.)

COntlnu0Q from flrSt Hase.)
weight Of bread have, in several in.
stances: brought their standard loaf
down from sixteen ounces to four
ounces. There are free predictions no.:
among bakers that there may be
In. weight to even ten ounces
before the new wheat crop iB garnered
II exportation continues at the rate that
shipments Of wheat abroad are now be-
beef viii be dearer. in sympathy
with the increase In the price Of
wheat. according to dispatches from
dous shortage in the number OF beef
cattle. but the scarcity Of wheat has
increased the demand for corn and so
shortened the supply of cattle feed
that the stockmen. are having trouble.
This means less and poorer cattle.
Ban On Food Exports.
What Congress- can do under the
circumstances Is not clear. even to
those members Of Congress who are
pressing for an investigation. There
has been some talk today to the effect
that Congress might place an embar-
go on exports of food stuffs, but this
talk is largely among members rep
resenting city constituencies.
Representatives Of farming commun-
right to get the full benefit Of the
increase In the price Of foodstuffs
caused by the demand from abroad
and any movement looking to the
choking off Of the foreign markets
that favorable action on the proposi-
tion appears to be impossible.
The Chicago Retail Grocers and
Butchers Association at its next meet
Ing will adopt resolutions calling upon
Congress to place an embargo upon
exports Of wheat and flour, and plans
to inausurate new fight against the
high cost Of -four on more aggressive
lines than. the war Of agitation that
brought down the "high cost Of living"
late last summer.
Millers Enter Marketr-
Mountaineering the high price Of
wheat in the Chicago market yesterday,
the millers went in t6 compete with
the .epeculators and exporters in the be-
lief that high levels have not yet been
reached. The prospect that Italy and
Rouma mia may join the warning nations
is having a widespread "bull'' effect not
only On the wheat operators. but the
farmers as we'll.
The Department Of Justice is fol-
lowing with interest the bread situa-
ton throughout the country. The Of
fcials admit that the usual rise in
wheat and -four prices is justification
for a similar step by the bakers. and
the department could take no step
unless it were led to believe that a
conspiracy had been entered into by
the bakers to put prices up. In the
living last summer Attorney General
Gregary instituted Investigations
throug ghout the United States into the
Good supply situatin. as result of
found against certain food supply
dealers in this city.
Spectators Win, Is Charge.
The major portion Of the wheat crop
of the United States in 1914 is no longer
dcials Of the Bureau Of Markets Of
the Department Of Agriculture.
The enormous profits which are ex-
pected to accrue to, holders OF grain,
will so. in large measure. to specu-
lators. Before the winter OF 1sl4-15 is
ended, another thrilling chapter in the
epic OF wheat probably will be
written. the department heads believe.
The wheat crop Of the United States
for 1914 is estimated by the Department
o. Agriculture, at S9l l.Ol7.0 90 bushels. an
increase Of approximately 127.ooo,ooo over
1913.
Spectators Reap Profits.
On December 1. 1914, the average price
o: wheat was SO cents bushel. AL
though q great many thousands of
bushels will be sold between now and
opring by farmers at figures ranging
from $3.50 to $50 per bushel. the major
portion Of the crop was sold at prices
Under 9S cents. This figure is, therefore,
regarded as an average.
At Is cents bushel. the 1914 crop
was wortl, Ss7s 600 900 to the farmer. At
least 50 per cent of the SOL .017.O00 bushels
harvest, it is estimated, will be sold
by grain SPECTATORS. at prices in ad-
vance Of s1a0 a bushel. The specu-
iatpr.. it is believed. will be the one to
reap wealth from the rise in prices
Even on this basis, the farmers Of the
United States are believed to have real
tied sass, 100000 more on their 1914 crop
than they realized on the crop of 1913.
The 1913 crop WAS 76S.3so,00o bushels.
Bread To Cost More
Tho high cost Of wheat is also expect
ed to. raise the cost OF -four and bread,
in the opinion Of Charles ]. Brand. chief
Of the Bureau Of the Markets, OF the
Department of Agriculture. Flour is
already lowering around $50. a barrel,
with prospects Of IS -four before the
close of the winter.
Bakers profits are believed to be a
small fraction of a Gent per loaf. II
this fraction is cut lower by the high
cost Of -four. something must happen,
says Brand. to either flour or the loaf.
Six cents for bread Is an unwieldy price.
A smaller nickel loaf is the most eco
nomic solution. he declared.
Warning By Wiley.
DR.. Harvey w. Wiley. former chief
OF the Bureau of Chemistry, is out with
warning against curtaihnent of the
bread supply, even II the price goes
higher.
yThere is a popular fallacy in favor
OF meat" said the doctor. Meat con-
tains 60 per cent water. and costs =
cents a pound. Bread Is. he explained,
only 40 per cent water, and costs
cents IL pound. There's moro energy In
. pound Of bread than in a pound of
meat Hard workers need bread more
than meat. There's more strength in
, ,,r,,n1 ~ tnaal than In nnunl ~