Macon beacon., 1917-07-27
Price-F Fixing Is to Be Removed
From Food Bill.


ing out in conference Of the pro-
vision in the food control bill as it
was amended in the senate fixing
the minimum price of war wheat
at 81 a bushel in the hands of the
farmer at central il terror markets.
While Senate and House con
ferees for obvious reasons cannot
with technical propriety declare
In advance of conference how they
will vote with respect to any par.
ticular provision of the bill, it is
mot even mildly speculative to say
that the conferences on the part
of the House with insist on the re-
tention in the bill of the language
as to the fixing of food products.
Several of the Senate conferees
also are known to favor such ac-
tion. The Memphis territory is
represented on the conference com
mittee by Congressman Il. s. Can
dler of the First Mississippi Dis
trict, ranking Democrat on the
on House Committee on Agricult
ure, and who has devoted himself
for years to the study and ad-
vancement of farming matters.
FAvORS HOUSE BILL.
Mr.. Gambler is committed to the
House bill, and it is safe to say
that he will adhere Loyalty to the
leadership of Congressman Lever,
of South Carolina, chairman of the
committee on agriculture and the
first of conferees on the part of
the House to consider the food
food control bill in conference.
There can be no doubt as to the
stand Mr.. Lever will take in the
preparation of the bill for final
passage by both houses of Goa
gress. Some concessions may be
maze to the Senate, but tne liking
of $2 a bushel for wheat for the
duration of the war will not be
one of the concessions made.
There is a positive sentiment in
both houses against this provision.
The House bill leaves the fixing of
food prices to the discretion of the
President, who of course, must
necessarily rely upon the co opera,
tion and advice of the board of
control subject to his authority.
House conferees take the position
that the Senate has acted without
a preliminary investigation OF any
guiding knowledge whatsoever up
on the subject, and that it would
be manifestly unfair to everybody
concerned to fix arbitrarily the
price of a food commodity in the
absence of light shedding facts or
without reference to actual con.
ditions prevailing at the time of
the Offering for sale of such com,
modify.
WILLIAMS AGAINST 1T.
Wheat in the hands of the farm
er at the guaranteed minimum
price of - a Dushel for the period
of the war means flour to the
average consumer at $13. 80 a bar
rel. To consumers removed from
central interior markets it means
even higher price than that.
Senator John Sharp Williams and
Senator Mcclellan said today that
they opposed the fixing of the
minimum price of wheat at 81 a
bushel because of the injustice of
the provision to everybody inter
ested.
Defenders of the original House
provision, which left this vital
matter to the discretion of the
President, contend that Congress
cannot determine in advance how
much it is going to cost the farmer
to produce a bushel of wheat.
While 50 a bushel might in agiven
distance be a fair rate of compen,
sation, it might be that S1.5O
would be q just price or that 3. 30
a bushel would not be too much.
Wherefore in this inevitable un'
certainty as to the cost of produc
ton and marketing it is unwise
for Congress to attempt to fix by
e., statute the minimum price of a
bushel of wheat.
FOR SALE OR RENT.
Four room cottage now occupied by