Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-08-16
WHEAT IS NO SCAPEGOAT

In washington announcement Of the plans Of the
food administration authoriues, emphasis is laid on the
arrangements TO be made for the control Of wheat, ite
distribution and is price. We are told that unless the
prices Of wheat. -four and bread are materially reduced
it will be impossible to maintain the present wage scale
and that failure to do this will lead<to the disorganiza-
ton OF our industries. BY this we understand that II
food prices are not reduced, wages must be advanced.
That conclusion will scarcely be disputed, for, while the
no means kept pace with the cost OF living. ana at the
going wages IL is practically Impossible for the. manual
laborer to support a family. @
We are told, also that attention Is being given first
to wheat because this years crop 10 just beginning to
move. and whatever arrangements are made concerning
1t. must be made promptly IL they are to be OF any value.
No good citizen will object to the making of what
ever arrangements are necessary to bring the Industries
OF the, country to their highest efficiency. That is what
all good citizens want. But we Of the northwest, have
q right to insist that the subject be taken UP in a broad
way, and that It be made clear that there IL to be nothing
IN the direction Of making q scapegoat Of wheat, the
commodity in which we are specially interested. i
Perhaps becanse wheat forms the basis Of the greater
part Of our living, discussions of food values and food
control usually center on wheat and there is at least the
apparent Inference that II the price Of wheat could be
reduced all would be well. The fact is that, important
as It is. wheat is but one Of many articles which enter In
to our consumption, and, while data on the subject are
lacking, we hazard the opinion that Of the important food
articles wheat products, based on the present price OF
wheat. give the consumer more wholesome food for his
dollar than does any other article that he fnds on his
table. This, OF course. is a matter which can be deter
mined with reasonable accuracy, and TIE Herald sug-
geats that the preparation 81. d comparative table Of food
values. based on present prices. could be prepared by DR..
Ladd and presented In such q manner as to carry convic-
ton. We know Of no greater service that DR.. Ladd could
render to the nation and to the people Of his own state
just now than by the preparation Of such a table.
There ought to be no discrimination in favor Of wheat
growers as against the producers Of other necessities. But
care should be taken also, than there is no discrimination,
and no appearance of discrimination against them. They
are entitled to equal treatment with the rest of our peo-
pie and the authorities should see that they get.it.
The provisions for the fixing Of q minimum price for
wheat do not apply to the crop Of this year. They do
apply to. the crop of 1913. The arrangements now to be
made should be just ana equitable. ana the farmers
should be informed as quickly az possible what are to be
the arrangements Of 1918. II q minimum price Is to be
fixed, let that be done promptly. If there is to be a
maximum, let that also be fixed soon. Then the farmer
will be relieved Of uncertainty SO far as his market haz-
ara is concerned. and he will be able to adjust himself
intelligently to the situation.
But It cannot be too strongly insisted that in its ef-
fort to place this one product of the farm within reach
of the iaborer on the present wage scale. 1t is not over
looking the many other commodities in which the wage
Garner is interested. It should make It plain that there
is to be no attempt to reduce the price Of the most i'm
portant commodity that the northwestern farmer has to
sell, while leaving untouched the things that he must
MS family. and az a means toward the production OF
wheat itself. The farmers Of the Northwest made every
effort last spring to increase acreage, and did increase It
although many Of them were obliged to buy
seed for that purpose at from $3.50 to $500 q bushel. In
certain sections in the western part of this state, and in
Montana, many farmers will not get their seed back this
year. Much OF the southern wheat, soft and inferior as
prevailed. It would be a gross injustice to the north
western farmers II they, of all others, the producers OF
the finest wheat grown, are required to see their product
singled out for a reduction in price just now.