Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-08-31
Hope of President That Figure
Determined Upon Will Sta
biIize Market for Food
StuffS,
SOME GROWERS SURE
TO LOSE; OTHERS WIN
Labor Members Of Garfield
Commission Favored S1,80;
Agricu|tuflsts Stood Out For
$3.50.

Washington, Aug. 3O.--A price OF
s2.20 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..
II. A. Garfield.
The basis will be No. l ncrthern
spring wheat delivered at Chicago.
The committee finally agreed late this
afternoon, after several days Of vot-
ing. At one time II looked as If it
would be unable to come to conclu-
sion, but just before 6 o'clock q
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 Sl.S4.
The two extremes eventually mar
rowed down until the votes were only
a few cents apart ard most of today's
voting showed only slight difference.
Foth factions appeared uncompromis-
ing at the start.
Higher Than for 1919.
ON the basis of $2.20 at Chicago,
the food administration worked out
tonight differentials for the various
grades and classes and for the several
terminals. The price fixed tonight is
20 cents higher than that named for
the 1918 crop by congress in tho food
control bill The 81 price set by con-
gress was taken into consideration by
the committee In considering q fair
valuation for this years crop.
In statement accompanying the
announcement of the price. President
Wilson declared it is the hope of the
food administration and his own as
well, that the fixing Of price will
stabilize the market and keep prices
within moderate bounds for all trans
actions during the current year.
The price of flour and bread, 100,
the president declares, will he kept
down
Three Chief Considerations.
The committee, in its report TO the
president, gave as it's three chief con-
siderations that entered into It's delib-
erations, the following:
The fact that the United States is at
war; the need of encouraging the pro-
ducer, and the necessity Of reducing
the cost of living TO the consumer. All
members agreed in their discussions
that the price fixed will permit of a
fourteen n-ounce loaf of bread for
cents, allowing a fair profit both to
the flour manufacturer and the
baker.
The price differentials worked out
by the food administration tonight
are: No. dark hard winter. $2.24;
hard winter basic, $220; red winter
basic, $220; yellow hard winter,
$2.16: soft red winter, $218 dark
northern spring. s2.24; red spring,
s2.1S: humpback, $2.10; amber du-
rum, $2.24; durum basic, $220; red
durum, $2.13: red Walla, $2.lS; hard
white basic, $2,2O; soft white, $2.lS;
white club. $2.16.
No. 2 of each grade Is cents less;
No. 3, cents less; No. 4, 10 cents
less.
Relative market basis:
Chicago, Galveston, New Orleans,
basic: Kansas City and Omaha,
cents less than basic; Duluth and Min
neapolis, cents less; st. Louis,
cents less, New York, 10 cents more
than basic; Baltimore and Philadel-
phia, cents more; Buffalo, cents
more. ,a
The basic grades are Nos. hard
winter, red winter and northern
spring.
Although the prices are fixed on
government purchases only, the food
through its weat cor
expects to control the mar
ket without difficulty. The corpora
ton will make ali government and al
lied purchases and has under consid
Grafton plans to buy for millers. II II
serves as broker between the terminal
and the flour mills the corporation
will be come purchaser of virtually
all the country's wheat crop.
Criticism Expected.
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 machinery of the government and
willingly relinquish part OF his
profits in 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 opin-
ion of what is fairest to ali the inter-
ests of the country
In its statement to- the president
the committee recites the factors con-
sidered in its decisions. Chief among