Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1917-08-24
WHY MUST THIS COUNTRY
PAY HIGH PRICES FOR BREAD

Pickpocket prices and terrific over
charges will engage MIR. Hoover's
earnest attention, writes Harris Dick
son in Golfers Weekly. At first he
may try moral suasion--may attempt
to argue with schemers who never
owned an actual food commodity in
their lives, yet are now holding ten
thousand cases Of peas, ten thousand
tons of rice, squeezing their profits
from the helplessness of hunger.
Where Mr.. Hoover fails to convince
one of these patriots he means to cut
him out, eliminate him, soak him
good, lock him up.
Consider the price of bread: Last
year the farmer sold his wheat at an
average of $3.50 a bushel. Wheat
bread in the national capital today
sells for between 10 and IL cents
pound-which is at the rate of $40
barrel for flour.
The European formula for the ra-
ito of flour to bread is that the price
OF bread should be the same as the
price OF flour. The baker gets a 80
per cent swell IN the water, yeast.
etc., out Of which 80 per cent he is
supposed to pay his expenses and
should represent flour at $40 a bar
rel, and $40 flour means nearly
$4.25 a bushel for wheat. But the
farmer got only $3.50. Between the
wheat maker and the bread eater
there yawns a mysterious margin of
75-excess baggage of nearly dou-
BILE the original price of the wheat.
Where did that go? Who was it that
got nearly twice as much for doing
nothing as the farmer got for raising
the wheat? don't know his name,
and I'm afraid the gentleman will
never speak up. The truly modest
always shun publicity.
Allowing for legitimate trade pro-
fits, wheat at $3.50 should have
meant bread at less than s cents q
pound. Under the European formula
1t would have meant Accent bread.
Costs are somewhat higher in this
country, and we cannot strictly an
ply the European formula. For the
last two months our bread has been
100 per cent higher than it would
have been IL the trades were under
reasonable control, eliminating spec
ulation and the unholy rake-off Of
middlemen.
Practically the entire wheat supply
of Belgium Is imported from the
United States. Yet in spite Of the ex-
traordinary cost and risk of transpor-
tation, the price of bread in Belgium
Is so per cent of the price in New
York City. A large proportion OF the
wheat in France comes from this
country, yet the price of bread in
France is 40 per cent below ours.
Bread is now selling in England for
% cents for four pounds, the highest
price since the Crimean war-3O per
cent below our prices. In Canada we
see lower range of prices to the
consumer than In our country, al
though the producer realizes the
same price.
Again. for I want you to get this:
Assuming that the farmer last year
received the highest average, $3.50,
for his wheat. Then, with all normal
costs and profits added, the whole
sale price of flour should not have
exceeded SO barrel. Yet during the
last few weeks at many centers 1t has
scared as high as SIS. A probable
average throughout the country is
S14. Some one is taking SIS barrel
on 100000 barrels month-$6O-
600 900 a month actually picked
from the American pocket. Since this
rise in price above SO was before the
new crop, we may assume that over
$3.50. 900, 600 has been snatched from
the mouth OF hunger-in excess OF
normal profits of trade and distri- |
button. This in part accounts for q
statement recently made to me that I
we now have in this country 10000 I
more millionaires than we had be-
fore the war commenced
A while back / spoke of the pend |
ing food administration bill as carry
ing a lash. Here is where the lash /
ie to be vigorously applied Now,
who objects. except the sleek, fat /
gentleman who is liable to find him
self at the timber end of the cowhide7 +
These facts are given in detail as
an illustration of how price control
may be accomplished by cutting out
middlemen and without
the Just due of the man
whose sweat produces the food.
Legitimate tradesmen understand
and approve. For example, the Ma
.ional Wholesale Grocers' association,
now, cooperating with government
agencies, frankly states that 1t is
foolish for business men to fear that
will bring general par
liysis of industry or trade The as s
iociation believes that readjusted 5,
business will thrive and profit. not
,nly during the war. but for many ;
.ears thereafter.
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