Evening journal., 1917-09-27
Wheat, Coal and Steel
(From the New York SUM

kfIOn tut ne
The Government has set price OF
'2.2O a bushel for wheat and a price
Of 50 a ton for soft coal In the case
of wheat there seems TO be general
abstraction; in the case Of coal dis
abstraction could hardly be greater
han the present price determination
has produced.
In some sections where the wheat
crop has been poor farmers have OBJ
ected 10 the 1920 price, demanding
% a bushel In other sections the
'armers, while not dissatisfied with
i2.20. have withheld their wheat or
delayed harvesting 1t because they did
not understand the law establishing
The National Food Administration nor
grasp the extent OF the Governments
lewly acquired control u the wheat
supply. That control does not begin
with the farmer but could hardly be
less effectively exercised over him II It
did. When there is ultimately but one
wheat buyer and that the government
The seller cannot indulge safely in
boarding.
But the Governments enterprise in
wheat has disturbed the minds Of
many because it Includes the fixing OF
a price Of 81 a bhshel for the 1918
crop. The guarantee Of 81 a bushel
extends 10 May 4, 1919 Now the war
may be over before then and great
stores Of wheat in Russia, India and
Argentina. inaccessible at present 10
the United States and western Europe,
may have been released. Under such
circumstances. wheat might easily so
20 less than 81 a bushel and the Gov
eminent would presumably be Obliged
TO purchase the entire crop or this
country at a price more than double
the market
While this is quite within the realm
Of possibility 1t is a risk that must,
apparently, be taken in order TO in
sure a sufficiently large crop in 1918
The war may go on, and II II does
the cost Of planting Will certainly not
grow less. II the war goes on the 81
price will be necessary and in all pro-
bbility no more than gust AS for the
contention that the price set on wheat
will cause II to be planted at the OK
pense OF other grains, there seems
nothing IN existing conditions TO give
support to such a belief Corn Is over
three times as high in price as It was
before the war; other cereals have
risen proportlonately.
10 must be borne in mind that on the
United States fell the duty OF purchas-
Ing one-thlrd the wheat crop for ex-
port. To do this the Government had
to announce the price It would pay,
Now, had the Government stopped
there the remaining twO-thirds Of the
nnrAaInIrr hnsrn fa1Ian fnf0
the hands OF spectators and have
been resold at extortionate prices. Ad-
ded to these extortlons would have
been an actual scarcity at home,
Therefore 10 has seemed better TO the
Government to become the sole buyer
OF wheat; lest, by concerning Itself
only with its own needs and those OF
| its allies, American consumers should
| be left at the mercy OF mlddlemen who
would eheerfully rob those who were
able TO pay and starve those who were
net.
The Governments handling Of sot
coal Is more vulnerable, perhaps, ant
already intlmatiOns have come from
Washington that soft coal prices ma,
have TO be raised to keep the smalle
mines from closing. The price wa
FIRST set at SO a ton by the coal oper
ators, and this was agreed to by IN
Secretary Of the Interior and the cot
production committee Of the Counc
OF National Defense, a circumstanc
which makes the cut TO 81 a ton
doubtful expedient at best. The Coy
ernments attitude toward coal wa
msnlfestly different from its attltud
toward wheat.
Coal is bought by the Governmer
IN tremendous quantities for its Ow
consumpHlth. We have no wish I
lmpute political motives, but tho Coy
eminent could not but be aware this
the coal operators were a handful {
men, whereas the wheat raisers weI
millions OF voters. There Is, moreove
no use Disgusting the fact that the col
operators have in the past aroused
general resentment against themselve
Rightly or wrongly, they have bee
blamed for scanty supplies and for II
expllcable price raises. The public a
titude toward coal operators and co
dealers Is one Of suspicion; and u
Government must have been more tht
human not to have been somewhat
the same, mind. Add 10 this the freni
OF officials who conceive that evel
man who sells supplies TO the nay
is trying to rob the Treasury, and "
have a possible explanation OF q
sudden alteration in the agreed pri
for soft coal.
The coal mems sense OF in1usti
has been wrought upon by the whe
prlce-double wheat's worth In norm
times-and the copper price fixed
the Government, proclaimed ever
where as very fair and sure to slim
Int heavv nrndncLlOn of copper.