The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-03
This Is Plan of Kansas Council
of Defense Today.
Money Will Be Used in Il Part
nership Venture.
IMMEDIATE ACTION is URGED
No Legislative Action or Char
ity To Be Asked.
Food Conditions and Coal
Shortage on Program.

Late this afternoon the state de-
Tense council approved a plan for
100000 seed wheat fund. The
money will be placed with wheat
! growers on an investment basis
/ The council also favored a tele-
! gram to the Kansas congressional
delegation favoring a provision in the
food control bill providing a min
imum price to grain growers. For
! Kansas the council urged a minimum
: price of 50 a bushel on a Kansas City
market basis
DR.. Henry J. Waters of Manhattan,
/ president OF the council. heads a COM
mittee in charge of the subscription
campaign. A slogan for a 200, 0OO,-
/ 600 bushel wheat yield in 1918 was
adopted. DR.. Waters will call an i'm
mediate session of council leaders to
work out plans for the seed wheat
( fund. The committee may spend sew
/ eral days in Topeka. Permanent
/ headquarters will be established here.
Plans to cooperate with Kansas
/ farmers in the utilization of every
available acre of wheat land are being
worked out this afternoon by mem
+ bers of the state council of defense
! The council will push a program fol
an extensive SEED wheat fund, but the
W
in spirit of charity. Governor Cap
/ per told the council that under a rul-
! ing by the attorney general funds
could not be provided by the state
| thru special legislative session.
Letters read before the council to-
day by Governor Capper showed
varying conditions. In many of the
large wheat growing communities,
legislative members told the governor
that bankers and money lenders
10 Il fa fnr
wheat The man without security or
banking credit will need help. Pres
ident W. A. Lewis of the Hays nor
NAL estimated needed funds for men
unable to borrow at the bank would
call for a fund of from 100000 to
$1.00O,O0O in the Sixth and Seventh
districts.
No Spirit of Charity
All spirit of charity or forced aid
is to be taken from the campaign of
the defense council. President Wa
terS urged the council to support the
with the farmers. Several speakers
and correspondents advocated seed
wheat furnished on basis of one
fourth of the 1918 yield.
In an effort to promote state wide
interest in the movement for maxi
mum crop productions. President Wa
tiers this afternoon advanced the plan
for special crop trains. Crop films
are now being made at the state agri-
cultural college, Manhattan. These
films DR.. Waters would have dis
played free of charge in eVe~y movie
house in Kansas. He would send
speakers with the trains. which he
urged should be run over every mile of
railroad in the state. This action he
declared, would arouse interest in the
campaign for capacity crop produc-
ton.
Kansas farmers resent advancement
of funds by the council as an act of
charity, according to the spirit OF
many letters presented by Governor
Capper. The council, however, took
the position of providing funds and
urging greater crop acreages as a bust
ness proposition. Thav discussed the
problem of minimum prices for 1917
crops and provisions of the food con-
troll bill now before the United States
senate.
On a Business Basis.
I'VE must meet the farmers on a
business basis in urging the sowing OF
maximum wheat acreages," said Pres
ident Waters. Most of all we must
overcome the feeling existing among
many farmers that we are seeking to
, force help on their community. We
must enter this campaign in a spirit
of seeking to engage in the crop cam
, paign in partnership with the farmer
Urgent need for immediate action
faces the state council at this time
according to lengthy statement OF
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