The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-04-05
GROWERS WIN FIGHT
Price Not Fixed At $21 Per Ton BY
Government.

Government.
Congressman Linthicum with mis-
colleagues Mr.. Price and Mr.. POLK
has been making great light Tor
the tomato growers of the State, be-
fore the Army and Navy Board. tell
ing the Board that his people, speak
ing for those of his native county OF
Anne Arundel, cannot possibly grow
tomatoes at $21 per ton at the pres
ent rate of expense. He contended
that the average yield is not more
than three and one-half tons per acre
and that his people could not pro-
duce for less than Stopper acre. lie
told the Board that if they would
not pay over $21 per ton for toma-
toes the people would refuse to grow
them and the scarcity would be SO
manifest and the prices so high that
it would cost the Government mil
lions of dollars to buy the necessary
quantity for the Army and Navy.
Mr.. Linthicum called the attention
of Colonel Grove, representing the
Board, to the fact that the farmers
wanted to do all they could toward
the winning of this war by the pro
duction of food, but at the same
ime, with the great scarcity of labor
md high cost of fertilizer and the
scarcity and cost of seed, it was i'm
possible for them to Go it with their
limited capital, without sustaining
great loss which they could not
afford to do
Colonel Grove told Mr.. Linthicum
md his colleagues that if the peel pie
in the East could not produce the
,omatoes for the price, that they
could be obtained in California
where they grow about eleven tons
to an acre for SIS per ton or less.
Colonel Grove was then asked
whether it was not fact that the
great desire of the Army and Nav!
70 have tomatoes for their soldier
and sailors was the necessity of oh
tanning the acid which tomatoes con
tain and which is necessary for their
welfare. Colonel Grove said it was
He was then Informed and admitted
that the California tomatoes, where
they are grown by irrigation, have
not the required acid and have no
where near the amount of acid that
the tomatoes grown in the East con
tain, the tri-statas Maryland, Della
ware and Virginia.
After one of the most strenuous
meetings which has ever been hold
IN Washington, where more than
fifty large and influential farmers
md packers were present, Colonel
Grove finally agreed that he would
take the question up with Represen
tatives Linthicum, Price and Polk
the next day.
The following day these gentle
men met Colonel Grove and Mr..
3urden, Superintendent under Mr..
Hoover of the Food Commission.
'fter a long debate it was finally
sgreed that the price of tomatoes
yould be lifted and the Army and
Navy Board would then go into the
market and purchase for the best
price.
This decision was a great salts |
action to the tomato growers and
will mean more than one million and
half dollars in their pockets. 1T
vas highly gratifying to the Repre-
;entatives in Congress because 1T is |
very essential to the public generally
that a large crop of ). tomatoes be |
grown this year.
Mr.. Linthicum suggested toll
Colonel Grove that if the Army and
Navy wished to obtain tomatoes at a |
low price and within reason il would
be we'll for them to make contracts
with the packers, paying for the |
goods in advance and taking bond
for their delivery. In this way, he
said, the packers would be financed
in their operations without great
expense and would be able to sell
10 the Government all it wished for
perhaps nearly cost.
Colonel Grove said he had the
power to do this and would take
the matter under consideration,