The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1917-09-27
THE PRICE OF BREAD.

Ours is a great wheat growing nation,
out for long time wheat and flour have
been much cheaper in England than in
the United States, and will continue to
be cheaper for a long time in the future
The reasons for this are fundamental but
are easily understood. British India pro-
duces an annual wheat crop of 375, 900, 00C
bushels This is considerably more than
half the entire average crop of our coun-
try. Owing to the mild climate and the
varied production of their soil, the people
of India are not large consumers of wheat,
she large production of which has been
aided and stimulated by British influ-
ences. Therefore it is safe to say that
the surplus to be exported is greater than
can be spared from the United States,
and it is produced by cheap labor, the
wages paid being not more than one-third
as large as farm wages are here. Aus
tralia has about 10000, 900 bushels for
export annually and this, too, is pro-
duced by cheap labor. These two domains
are a part of the British Empire. Their
wheat is virtually English wheat. Their
currency is English money. Their banks
are mostly English banks. In British In
dia, especially, most of the business is
conducted or controlled by Englishmen
From the above countries England has
been and is now getting wheat cheaply as
compared with our prices, and Just so
long as this condition exists bread will be
sold at less price in England than here.
In addition to this, England has been for
more than two years organizing and per-
fecting campaign of economy and con-
servation, and crusade against specula-
ton, boarding and extortion We have
Just begun this important work but thus
far the results have not been at all what
were hoped for and it is not to be ex-
Dected that there will be any great reduce
ton In the cost of bread in this country
intended to be criticism of the Presi-
dent nor of Mr.. Hoover. They are trying
as best they can to work out the corollary
Of the problem. The main proposition,
the obtaining of wheat, the raw material
from which flour is made, and to obtain it
at anywhere near its normal price is now,
in this country, an unsolvable problem.
The minimum price of 81 20 per bushel is
an extravagantIy abnormal price This
price was fixed at this limit in order to
increase the acreage to be planted and is
generally approved, but it positively neg
tiyes all the efforts of the food director
to force down prices except by control
ling the hoarder, whether he be farmer
OF Spectator, and by eliminating waste
on the part OF the consumer. A week
ago last Monday new law went into
effect in England. This law appropriated
5000 600, 600, to be used as a subsidy on
wheat In India a part of this subsidy
is 10 be used, if necessary, as premium
to promote production. All the wheat
needed by England is to be bought and
sold by the government. Wheat bought by
the English in the United States will cost
them 81. 20per bushel, plus the freight, but
the English government will sell toEngllsh
nillers at much lower price, thus enab-
ling them to place flour in the hands of con-
sumers at lower prices than our govern
ment can now secure for us. The humor
of the situation lies in the fact that we
loan them the money with which to do
this. The English government realizes
that the best method of preventing her
people from becoming FESTIVE, and per-
haps riotous, is to feed them well at talr
prices, and as long as her credit is good
England will subsidize wheat.