The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-12-21

The 1916 figures include the first 10
months of he e The value of feed
and bran, which is, OF course. in the
wheat when sold to the miller is
eliminated from the flour prices. The
feed and bran in a bushel of wheat is
worth about so cents.
Can't be Explained.
"IheSe can be no reason why the
cost of handling wheat from the pro
Queer to the consumer should show
such wide discrepancies as exist in the
yearly TENS shown by the Wholesale
and retail figures. I shall not, with the
data on hand, undertake to fix this cost,
put Tor temporary use I would suggest
that the lowest wholesale and retail
expense Tor any year be applied as it is
not probable that the miller, whole
saler or the retailer handled wheat or
nour n year without reasonable
profit.
The smallest variation between The
1arm n wholesale price per bushel as
SHOWN IN the foregoing statistics is 1s
cents. The lowest variation between
the wholesale and retail price ner
busilel is shown to be 26 cents, making
a total minimum variation of A cents
per bushel. On this basis, when wheat
IS selling for 81 per bushel, SO pounds
OF flour should be bought at retail for
Sill. BY adding 70 cents to the farm
" ouSlIe VI wheat We should
get approximately the price at which so
pounds Of. flour should sell at retail
based on the above price.
Bread Varies Little.
1T will be observed that the price of
pread during the past five years has
oeen stable n during this time de-
tailed statistics show that the price of
wheat has varied 81 cents and flour 96
cents per bushel. These ]ctuatio
were all ahcnrhnI NV fL~
tween the wheat and the bread. h
size OF the loaf in some instances has
varied but in many states and cities a
UNIFORM n pound loaf is REQUIRED by
law. The priceNof a loaf was raised one
cent by the master bakers in October
Flour from n bushel of wheat will
make approximately 81 loaves of bread
and the increase Of one cent per loaf
therefore was an increase to the con-
sumer OF 81 cents per bushel on wheat.
There is no economic reason WHY
me price of bread should O fluctuate
with the price Of wheat, and there can
be no economic reason why the cost of
the manufacturing and selling should
not be stable but the reverse Is the case.
Who Got Profit?
The wheat farmers have not pros
pered this year. The farmers will sell
the 1916 crop for $3.50. 0OO, 900 less than
the 1915 crop, and at least 500, 0OO, 900
less than h 1914 crop. This years
wheat crop has visited adversely upon
both the producer and consumer, but
has brought prosperity to the specula-
tor. The average cost of moving a bush
81 OF wheat from the producer to the
consumer during the past five years
has been S8 cents. while the farmer re-
ceived an average of SO cents for pro-
ducing it.
What we a said Of wheat applies,
with greater or lesser variation to cot
ton. corn. livestock, and all products Of
the farm, ranch, orchard and mine.
While the income Of most consumers
is stable. nature is an inveterate
gambler and forces the producer to bet
millions upon every crop for no man
can depend upon c%ultivating the soil
for a livelihood without taking a
chance. No greater service can be rend-
cred the producer than to assist in fe-
moving the speculative feature in farm
ing. Our storage facilities should be
employed in reducing rather than in
freasinE speculation. The smokehouse.
Naaary n cellar have been moved
from the farm, n we have in their
place MAMMOTH packing houses. ele-