The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1917-09-06

Price Committee Compromises
After Voting for Several Days

Washington, Aug. 30.-A price Of
$2.20 bushel was fixed for the 1917
crop of wheat by President Wilson to
night on the recommendation Of the
wheat price committee headed by DR..
H. A. Garfield The basis will be No.
northern spring wheat delivered at
Chicago.
The committee finally agreed late
this afternoon after several days Of
voting AT one time today it looked
as if it would be unable to come to a
conclusion but just before 6 o'clock
compromise was reached and the last
vote was unanimous.
Representatives of the producers
began by voting for price of $3.50
and labor's representatives for $1.84.
The two extremes eventually narrowed
down until the votes were only few
cents apart and most of today's vot-
Ing showed only slight difference.
Both factions appeared uncompromis-
ing at the start.
Above 1918 Minimum
On the basis of 1920 at Chicago, the
food administration worked out to-
night diffGrentiais for the various
grades and classes and for the sew
erai terminals
The price fixed tonight is 20 cents
higher than the minimum named for
the 1918 crop by congress in the food
control bill. The 81 price set was taken
into consideration by the committee
II, reiI iInrino foSr o1,,o @f I
years crop. s.s r.. -...
In q statement accompanying the
announcement of the price, President
Wilson declares it is the hope of the
food administration, and his own as
we'll, that the fixing of a price will
stabilize the market and keep prices
within moderate bonds for all trans
actions during the current year.
The price Of -four and bread, too,
the president declares, will be kept
down.
Will Control Market
The committee in it's report to the
president gave as its three chief con-
sldeTations that entered into it's de-
liberations the following:
The fact that the United States is
at war, the need CT encouraging the
producer, and the necessity Of reduc-
ing the cost of living I'd the consumer.
I! All nembsrs agreed in their discus
sions thatsthe price fixed will permit
lof a 14-Ounce %1baf of bread for five
cents; allowing a fair profit both to the
flour manufacturer and the baker.
Although the prices are fixed on gov
ernment purchases only the food ad-
ministration, through it's wheat corr
poratlon recently organized, expects to
control the market without difficulty.
The corporation will make all govern
ment and allied purchases and has
under consideration plans to buy for
mlllers. II 1t serves as broker between
the terminal and the flour mills, the
corporation will become purchaser of
virtually all of the country's wheat
crop.
Expect Criticism ~
Members of the committee said to.
niGht they expected a great deal of
criticism from the farming classes, but
that they felt that every farmer should
consider himself a part of the war ma
chinery Of the government and will
1ngly relinquish part of his profits
III the interests of the common good.
Great pressure was brought to bear on
the committee from many quarters to
set the price at higher figure than
that named, but the final decision,
members OF the committee, declared.
represented majority opinion of what
is fairest to all the interests of the
country.
In its statement to the president the
committee recites the factors consid-
cred in its decision. Chief among
Them was the mounting cost of living.
The condition of world markets also
was given careful thought as was the
probable effect of an early termina-
tlon of the war, which would loose
grain stocks of wheat in other coun-
tries now tied up because of lack of
shipping. :.
Consider Cost
The cost of production came in for
considerable attention. Experts of the
department of agriculture were asked
for production cost figures and the
committee studied data supplied by
growers organizations. It was real
lzed that some growers will be forced
to sell their wheat at a loss, while
many others will make high profit.
Besides DR.. Garfield, the other men,
bers present were:
Charles J. Barrett of Georgia. presi-
dent OF the Farmers union; Eugene
p. Funk of Illinois, president of the
Corn Growers association; Edwin F.
Ladd, president of the North Dakota
Agricultural college; J. w. Shorthill of
Nebraska, secretary OF the National
Council of Farmers Cooperative AS
sociations; L. J. Tabor, master of the
Ohio State Grange; Henry J. Waters,
president of the Kansas Agricultural
college; W. n. Doak of Roanoke Va,
vice president of the Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen; James w. Sulli-
van Of New York, of the American
Federation Of Labor; F. w. Taussig,
chairman of the tariff commission, and
Theodore N. Vail, president of the
American Telephone and Telegraph
company