Mexico Missouri message., 1917-05-17
Fears $4,000 a
Barrel Wheat
Why Food Control Is Needed-There
Are Real "Shunks" in Every
Trade.

New York, May 10.-Herbert C.
Hoover, who recently came from Eur
ope to advise the Government on
food conditions in Europe, says that,
without control, we may see -four at
$40 barrel before the year is over,
but that with control "the present
price of -four can be reduced 40 to
SO per cent, and, at, the same time,
the producer be treated in a liberal
manner"
There is absolutely no occasion
for food panic in this country, nor
any justification for outrageous
prices until the opposition of special
interests defeats the President in OBJ
tanning the necessary powers to con-
troll the nations food fully and ade-
quately. Americas problem is not
one of famine, for we have now and
will have next year a large surplus.
Our problem is, after the proper pro-
lection of our own people, to give
to our allies the last ounce of surplus
of which we are capable.
Therefore the nation needs
food control for two purposes:
ITO regulate prices and to increase
the surplus. After providing for our
normal consumption, we will have.
together with Canada, surplus for
our allies equal to only so per cent
of the food they require from us.
If we take broad measures of con-
troll we can, with as little disturb
ance to economic machinery as need
be, furnish them an additional 20
per cent. Their loaf even will be a
privation loaf, and every ounce we
can put into it will diminish their
privation. The problem is capable of
solution. If, however, the whole
world, allied and neutral, is to have
the unrestricted run of our markets
in competition with each other and
in competition with the speculator
in this country, we may expect to see
IS wheat before the year is over.
Large measures of food control
don't mean arbitrary interference
with the necessary economic machin-
cry of trade. They mean that every
branch will be called in by the Gov
ernment and forge themselves into a
link from which the contemplated
chain will protect producer, legiti-
mate distributor and consumer.
For instance, l am assured that
the American farmer did not realize
$1.3O per bushel for the 1916 wheat
crop, yet the price of wheat in New
York today is 1926 per bushel and
-four is $14.0O per barrel, with all
its attendant hardship and dislocation
of social and industrial life.
81 have no hesitation in saying
that, if the able, patriotic men rep.
resenting the majority of each
branch of the food trades were
called in and clothed with the nee
essary powers to force the small mi
nority of skunks that exist in every
trade, one result would be that an
equally nutritious -four based on
even $3.50 wheat could be sold in
New York for good feal under SIS
per barrel and every trade would re-
ceive its legitimate profit. Without
control we may see $40 -four before
the year is out, and total disloca-
tion of wages and consequent dislo-
cation of industry and living.
ION the other hand, if we ever
come the submarine, and if we open
other markets to our allies we may
see wheat at 81 a bushel and -four
under Sc. In any event, with suffi-
cient control the present plice of
-four can be reduced by 40 per cent
to so per cent and at the same time
the producer treated in a liberal
manner.
without any form of control we
are likely to see an even worse sit
uation than the high prices prevail
ing, resulting from the unrestrained
drain of our wheat abroad. 1t is pos
sible that in the last three months of
next year we will be dare of bread
stuffs in this country"