New-York tribune., 1917-10-31
Local Millers Hail An.
nouncement as Solution of
Wheat Shortage
Farmers Are Blamed
Reluctance to Market Harvest
Was Real Menace,
Says Authority

New York City may expect to pay
not more than 8 cents for loaf o.
bread row selling at 10 cents, and the
drop in price may come within three
or four weeks. il not sooner.
This was the belief expressed BY
-four men yesterday when they learned
that the government had determined To
assume full control Of all the -four
mills in the country. For nearly two
months the milling division Of the
United States Food Administration
with headquarters at.74 Broadway, had
exercised supervision over all the -four
mills of the United States with ca
pacity Of 100 barrels or more. fester-
day the milling division announced that
il would take over all the small mills,
beginning tomorrow, November /. The
city's -four men expressed great salts
faction over the action of the food ad-
ministraton IN placing the whole mill
ing industry on an equal footing.
Expects Drop In Price
George A. Zabriskie, general agent OF
the Pillsbury Flour Company, Of Min
neapolis, said he expected the Food Ad-
ministration 20 follow up its action "
assuming control of 100 uper cent OF
the mills by taking under supervision
the whole bread-making industry of the
country, and either reducing the price
e al 10 &c n. n.
ardizing larger loaf 20 be sold at lC
cents. The government having seized
all the mills, Mr. Zabriskie spoke FRI nix
" Of the serious danger Of -four short
age which has menaced the city for sew
eral weeks, due almost entirely to the
reluctance Of farmers TO market theiI
wheat.
There never was an actual flour
shortage here" said Mr.. Zabriskie, "be
cause the -four men acted patrioticaliy
and combined forces in efecting ar
equitable distribution. But we were sail
ing under bare poles for while. We
were living from hand to mouth.
IF the government had not fixed th'
price of wheat and kept the price dowI
TO the liberal sum OF s. 20 per bushel
we would be paying Sl5 TO $50 for ;
barrel instead of 81, the present price
At this flour price the price Of breaC
can be materially reduced. In this lat
itude we consume a barrel per capit'
per year, which means that New Yorl
City eats up more than 100000 barrel.
of 1876 pounds each year.
Farmers We're 10 Blame
"The -four shortage was due almos
entirely to the farmers. They have not
been hauling their wheat TO market
Our mill has been running about 50
per cent capacity up 10 short tim,
ago. We are now operating about Il
to so per cent capacity. All the othe,
big mills were in the same boat. Blu
conditions are improving steadily.
THE farmers, assured of S2.20 :
bushel for their grain till next June
are In no hurry TO dispose of theil
crops, especially in view of the fac
that the food administration has prom
ised n minimum OF 81 a bushel fol
next years crop. The farmers figure
that the war may end at any time, SC
they are concerned primarily with two
ngs-selling their oats, corn anC
fax at the prevailing high prices. anc
preparing their soil for the bigges'
acreage in wheat that the country ha:
ever known.
"But the people OF the cities IA ;
whole care nothing about either iixe'
wheat prices or Federal supervision o
-four mills unless these things meai
something when expressed in terms o