The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-11-06
CHARGE THAT MILL AND
ELEVATOR MAKE DOUBLE
PROFIT DISPROVED
Food Control Law Is
Strictly Adhered To
Wheat Bought and Handled at
Six Cents Per Bushel Profit and
Flour Made and Sold on Strict
ly 25c Per Barrel Margin.

Governor Capper, of Kansas, has
recently made public a letter written
by himself to Food Administrator
Hoover complaining rather bitterly of
the continued high price of flour and
bread as compared with that of
wheat-the latter fixed by the govern
ment. In this letter the governor
says: There can be no defense of a
system that takes profit away from
the producer through government au
thority and yet fails to give the con-
sumner the benefit of the saving
which every fair minded person will
say, "Amen!" A little inquiry devel-
oped the fact that very many people
on this tract were not only in sympa-
thy with the axiom above quoted, but
were feeling that the local market,
where wheat storage and milling are
combined, had been and was profiting
in Just that way at their expense.
In the strict line of its duty as 4
news purveyor and truth teller, the
TIMES offers the following statement
of the actual facts in the case, locally
derived, of course. from the eleva-
tor company's people, but of such
character as to be easily disproved, If
Incorrect; and such disproval of any
alleged fact herein given is not only
invited but challenged by them;
Beginning with the purchase of
wheat, all no doubt understand that
the governmentally fixed basis of $2.15
for No 2, soft, the grade marketed
here, less thirty cents freight and six
4 cents for allowed profit-which must
also cover all expense of handling and
is subject to a one per cent tax, es-
tablishes the local market price of
S179 per bushel. The mere statement
of these we'll known facts must settle
the question of inordinate profit, so
far as the unground wheat is concern
ed. But a considerable part of this
wheat is ground here and sold and
shipped as flour-and these appear to
be the transactions that are plastered
with interrogation points and lookeu
upon with suspicion. So let us see
y about the flour business, so far as it
relates to a concern that buys the
wheat and makes and sells the flour.
1t is perfectly certain that the gov
ernmental regulations with regard to
milling profit allowed are just as plain
and definite as those relating to pur-
chase The mill is allowed as its en-
tire and only profit twenty-five cents
upon each barrel of flour and fifty
cents upon each ton of bran and
shOrts-no more, no lessl These
profits very naturally do not attach to
each individual barrel and ton; they
can and must be realized as an aver
age upon the entire output during the
season. For instance: The Twin Falls
Mill e Elevator company recently
sold the government fifteen thousand
barrels of flour at a price, delivered
at Galveston, Texas, which only left
net profit of ten cents per barre
to the mill. So that the average mus
be maintained by better prices OF
smaller shipments nearer home.
But how does the government anC
how can the public, know whether
these regulations are complied with
Well in the first place. the compan.
must make to the food control com