Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1917-08-31
$500 WHEAT Is ONLY
JUSTICE TO FARMERS
Conference Called by Governor Urges
Equitable Price for This Seasons
Wheat Crop

A government fixed minimum price
of SO a bushel for No. 1 Northern
wheat, other grades to be priced on
a differential not exceeding four cents
a busheI was urged in a resolution
adopted by representatives of the
farmers of Minnesota, North Dakota
and South Dakota, in conference Sat
urday at the state capitol on the call
of Governor J. A A Burnquist. The
resolution was sent by telegraph to
Chairman H. A. Garfield of the fed
eral price fixing committee and del
egation of three was selected to go to
Washington to support 1t.
The minimum recommended, which
means SIS flour, was adoptedsfollow-
ing a showing that 1901 must be OBJ
tanned for wheat grown on 800 an
acre land and yielding 10 bushels,
rated average condition, if the farm
er is to receive the 10 per cent profit
recognized as a fair return by the
government. Prevailing prices on
other staple commodities we're cited
to support the reasonableness of the
recommendations.
Colonel c. H. March, Litchfeld,
agricultural commissioner on the
state war board, and Dean r. W.
Thatcher of the agricultural college
at the University of Minnesota,
chosen to represent Minnesota, and
Warden F. Talcott, North Dakota,
left Saturday for Washington, D. c.,
to urge favorable action by the fed
eral committee.
Governor Burnquist presided at the
conference and among other mem
bers were Chairman E. r. Rahnke,
Minneapolis, A. F. Evanson, st. Paul,
of the state board Of grain appeals,
Senator F. E. Peterson of Moorhead;
F. o. SimonsOn, assistant market di-
rector of South Dakota.
Colonel March opened the discus
sion in the conference.
Wheat was more than So bush
ell about the time the government an
nounced it would reduce the price of
wheat to So bushel, thereby reduc-
ing the farmers income 33 1-3 per
cent, he said. IF this is done, we
insist upon the government reducing
the price on coal, iron, cotton, sugar
and all other products 33 1-3 per
cent"
The statement was seized upon and
used as a nucleus for the following
resolution adopted by unanimous
vote and dispatched to Washington:
WHEREAS, The farmers of the
northwest have been urged by the
state and federal governments to
raise wheat upon representations.
that liberal prices would be paid
therefor, and a large lumber of farm
ers have complied with said request
by reason Of such representation, and
WHEREAS, The crops in large
portions Of the wheat raising sections
of our country are very poor, and
the market price was, prior to repre-
sensations that the same would be
fixed by the government, the sum of
at least SO, and if the government
would have not decided to fix said
prices, the amount to be paid the
farmers therefor would have been at
least SIS bushel, and
WHEREAS, The lowering of
prices will reduce the amount of
wheat acreage for the future, aside
from the loss occasioned by the young
men of the farms who will be doing
military duty, unless the prices fixed
therefor will be adequate; and
WHEREAS, It has been repre-
scented that the price will be fixed by
the government, through it's commit
tees, at 81 bushel when the actual
cost this year in many cases for rails
ing said wheat is more than SAID
amount and the farmers would
through such reductions, have theil
incomes from wheat reduced by more
than one-third of the value thereof
and that such a reduction would BIZ
an unreasonable and unfair discrim
ination against them when prices fol
such other products as coal, sugar
cotton, and the other products in