Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-10-05
EXPLAINS |NPART
HIGH WHEAT COST
Chamber of Commerce Com
mittee, Appointed to Inves-
tlgate Rise, Reports.
SUBJECT is TOO LARGE
FOR HASTY EXAMINATION

Discussion Of the rise in the cost of
flour and wheat. following . partial
report Of tho committee appointed to
consider the cause Of and to suggest
remedies for the increase in price, &C.
cupied large part of the time of
members Of tho board of directors of
the Chamber Of Commerce at a meet
ing in the rooms of the organization
last evening. John G. Capers. chairman
of the committee. explained that the
subject was such a large one his COM
4 nittee had had no opportunity to con-
slider but a small part of it, and ask
ed for an extension of time during
which 1t Is planned to take up the
matter with the Department of Agri
culture, the Secretary of Commerce
and the United States Chamber of
Commerce
Mr.. Capers in making his partial re-
port cited the European war, the fact
that farmers and spectators are hold
ing wheat for high prices. shortage
in the crop of wheat and the fact that
inferior wheat has been produced in
/ many sections, as contributing causes
/ to the rise in wheat and flour, Less
acreage was set out in wheat for this
/ year, he explained, because of the great
) rise in potash, one of the necessary
fertilizing ingredients. due to the war.
He asked members for suggestions as
to the manner in which the committee
could forward it's work.
Views of Mr.. Wilkins.
Howard wilkins, one of the members
of the committee, said he did not think
wheat was particularly high in consid
Grafton of the price of other commodi-
ties.
P. T. Moran, president of the Chamber
of Commerce, explained that the or
ganization had taken up the price of
wheat.and -four rather than other food
stuffs because of its universal use
Some families have meat only three
times week." he said, but -four is
used three times day
Albert Schulteis, another member of
the committee, declared that the baker
Is frequently looked on as a robber, be-
bread, when. as a matter of fact, he is
being robbed.
The price of any other food can be
raised without a question" said Mr..
of bread is mentioned a great howl
goes up"
He then quoted as follows from a let
ter he had received:
Europe Must Have o. S. Wheat.
"Broomhall, the worlds leading bread
stuff authority, figures that after get
ting all the wheat that there is any
| possibility of securing from all other
sources. Europe must get from North
America during current crop year a
minimum of 240,o00.00o bushels of
wheat.
One hundred and Ave million bush
els have been shipped in wheat and
-four since July 1. More than one-half
of all America can spare for the entire
ported in three months. India. Aus
tralia, and possibly the Argentine. may
begin to ship more freely and thus re-
1ieve the excessive demand upon North
russian wheat probably will be tied
up tight for many months to come.
] No embargo lis likely to be attempted
upon shipments of wheat 1t would
be political suicide for western repre-
sentatives to vote in its favor.
The highest bidder. whether in
i America or Europe. will get our wheat
ding will be keen. and the successful
bidder will pay a high price,
Fire Prevention Day Endorsed.
The directors Endorsed the fire pre-
vention day idea. and all members of
the organization are to be urged to CO.
operate in whatever manner possible.
D. ]. Kaufman spoke of parade
which he had seen in New York last
year on fire prevention day. terming it
as wonderful exhibition" Upon
motion of Ralph w. Lee, the celebra-
ton. as planned here by Charles F.
Nesbit. superintendent OF insurance.
was Endorsed.
Resolutions expressing deep regret
and sincere sorrow" were adopted con-
corning the death of Justice Thomas
H. Anderson, who had been an honor
airy member of the organization for
several years. The following directors
were named to attend the funeral to-
morrow morning: A. Leftwich Sinclair,
Chaplin Brown. Joseph I. Weller. Mer-
rift o. Chance Louis Gutenberg, H. H.
Classic, John G. Capers. A. P. Clark.
H p. F. Mcfarland and o. S.
Netzerott.
Reports on Convention.
Mr.. Capers delivered brief report
on the Atlantic deeper waterways con-
vention. which he attended as the or.
ganization's delegate.
Il did not realize that Washington
had so close an interest in the work of
this organization" he said. and next
year 1 hope we are able to have more
than one delegate"
letter thanking the Chamber of
Commerce for its cooperation and
praising an address delivered by Mr.
Capers at the convention was read
from the waterways body
B. W. Guy and the committee headed
by him were thanked for their work
in raising funds for assisting families
of the members of the National Guard
On motion of Robert N. Harper 1t
was decided to display the films of the
Lincoln highway feeder and Washing
ton. which were produced Jointly by
the Chamber of Commerce, Board of
Trade and Retail Merchants Associa-
rion, before the membership of those
bodies at the New Willard Hotel in the