Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-09-04
CHEAPER BREAD To
FOLLOW 1920 PRICE
FIXED FOR WHEAT
Administration Struck Medium
Between Demand of Con-
SumerS for S1.76 and Farm
erS for $3.50

WASHINGTON. Aug. 31-The scent
loaf, containing fourteen ounces. is in
sight today as a result of governmental
wheat price fixing at $500 bushel for
the 1917 crop.
The wheat administration believes
that, while farmers may be displeased
20 some extent at a price lower than
they expected. the new system will
make their profits sure. will prevent
speculation, give millers and bakers a
fair margin. and assure the working
man of fair-priced bread
The price-fixing committee said today
that II believed the farmers. as a pa
triOtic duty, ought TO be willing TO re-
Iinquish some of their profits for the
good Of the whole war cause.
The new prices will prevail not alone
for the United States. but also for the
allies. for whom purchases will be made
through the n.--'onal wheat corporation.
President Wilson expressed himself as
confident the price hiking viii stabilize
the wheat business and work for the
general good.
The price-fixing committee started
with two extremes, the consumers desire
for SI.S4 and the producers for $3.50
the resultant S2.20 fixed on the basis of
Chicago.
The committee took into consideration
the subnormal yield of wheat, the fact
that the nation is at war and business
conditions are disturbed, while at the
same time figuring that production
ought to be encouraged and the ultimate
consumer not discouraged.
The price differentials worked out by
the food administration are: No. dark
4. inf hog .
red winter basic. $22O; yellow hard
winter. $216; soft red winter, S21S;
dark northern spring, $2.24; red spring.
S2.1S; humpback, S2lO; amber durum,
S2.24; durum basic. SEQ; red durum,
S2.13; red wallas, S2.13; hard white
basic, s22O; soft white, S2.1S; white
club. s216. No. 2 of each grade is three
cents less. No. six cents less. No.
ten cents less.
The committees work ended with the
fixing OF a price. One member, X. q.
Rhett, of Charleston, S. c.. was i'll and
did not attend the meetings. Besides
DR.. Garfield, the chairman, the other
members present were:
Charles J. Barrett. OF Georgia, presi-
dent of the Farmers union; Eugene E.
Funk. of Illinois. president of the Corn
Growers association; Edward r. Ladd
president of the North Dakota Agri-
cultural college; ]. W. Shorthill, of Ne
braska, secretary of the National Coun-
ell of Farmers Cooperative associa-
tons; L. ]. Tabor. master of the Ohio
State Grange; Henry ]. Waters, presi-
dent of the Kansas Agricultural col
lege: W. y. DOak, of Roanoke, Va, vice
president of the Brotherhood of Rail-
road Trainmen: James w. Sullivan, of
New York, of the American Federation
of Labor; F. w. Taussig. chairman of
the tariff commission. and Theodore n.
Vail. president of the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph company.
That the S2.2O wheat price is fair to
the farmer is indicated by a statement
issued today by the department of agri-
culture. which shows that $2.49 was the
highest average price paid TO producers
during the last ten years. This price
was reached last June.
The price has ranged between a min
imum of 76 cents paid in December.
1912. to the above maximum.
The price has been mounting steadily,
but never has such a high level been
reached and maintained as since the out
break of the war The farm price went
as high as s1.25 a bushel in June, 1909.
receding till 1t again took an upward
curve in 1915, reaching practically S1.30
a bushel in February, but declining 20
al and a fraction cents in December of
that year.
The average price has not gone below
that mark since December, 1915. Wheat
opened at $1.O2 and a fraction in 1916.
falling 10 90 cents in July, and closing
the year with a new high mark of LEO
and a fraction.
The average yearly price of number
one northern spring wheat in the Chi
cagO market during the ten years 1909
1917 was $1.26 per bushel, ranging be-
tween 81 cents in 1918 and S2.37 in 1917
During the same period the average
yearly price paid to producers was Sl.07
per bushel. ranging between 10 cents
in 1918 and 81 in 1917.
Congressmen representing some wheat
states denounced as "a monstrous in
Justice" the $3.50 price set for wheat.
For the North Dakota delegation Con-
gresham Baer, nonpartisan. said: THE
price set is a monstrous injustice, too,
and discriminates against the growers
of the northwest. Producers in the
south have sold their crop at the top
market price. Gamblers have been re-
ceiving $3.50 a bushel in Chicago for
imaginary wheat. Now the farmer
comes along with high-grade grain and
is penalized by the benehcent food adj
ministration. The government has
broken faith with the northwest pro-
ducers."
Other congressman said that not one
farmer in twenty raised the No. north
ern grade wheat, which alone COM
mands the price the government set.
Much wheat. they said, will sell well
below the 50 mark
Baer said that limiting middlemen's
profits would do the consumer more
good than any price imposed on the pro-
Queer.
ION the open market" said Senator
could get SO to $3.50 a bushel for his
wheat The government therefore, is
taking close to so per cent of his war
profit Now let's do the same all along
the line