The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-11-20
HIGHER PRICE FOR
1919 WHEAT CROP
URGED IN REPORT
Advice Of Only Committee Farm
j.. ers Have at Capital Was
DisreQarded.

/
facts are certain to develop ~ the re
suit of resolution offered in tn,
House of Representatives by Congress
man Anderson, Republican, Of Mime
sofa, calling for an investigation o.
the report that, early in August, thu
Agricultural Advisory Committee ap
pointed to investigate the cost OF pro
ducing wheat and to recommend q
guaranteed price for the 1919 harvest
recommended $2.48 as a minimum
price to be guaranteed for 1919 wheat
The report and recommendation,
when brought to light, will disclose the
following facts: After four days SEES
sion and hearings, tho Agricultural Ad-
visory Committee, with seventeen Of
twenty-four members present, by the
unanimous vote of those present, passed
the following resolution to be trans
mitted to the Secretary OF Agriculture !:
Resolved, That 1t Is the sense OF
this Committee that a minimum price
Of s. 46 per bushel for No Northern
Spring Wheat, or Its equivalent, based
on Chicago delivery, be fixed for the
1919 wheat crop"
Need Of Higher Prices.
In support of its report the commit
tee said while it believed the price Of
$3.50 per bushel as guaranteed for the
1918 wheat crop was, under all cir
cumstances, reasonable, that 1t felt
sure that
1.-THE wheat crop of 1919 cannot be
produced on the same basis OF cost
for the following reasons: The addi-
tional cost Of commercial fertilizers
and clover seed, which are necessary
to many sections in the successful
growing of wheat; the increased cost of
farm machinery the increased cost of
accessories and repairs; the increased
cost of fuel and lubricating oils for
the tractor engines used in preparing
much of the land the increased cost
of skilled labor used in running such
machines the increased and increas-
cause of higher wages due to lessened
supply and of rapidly diminishing eff
iciency; the increased demands Of
abor for improved living conditions,
which must be met by the building of |
houses for the occupancy of married I
men, they being the only class now
AVAILABLE in any substantial number
or farm work"
The report further stated that on
he basis Of $246 wheat the cost Of
Iour would be increased only one dol
ar per barrel over the cost Of -four on I
he basis of 1920 wheat, and that the
verage yearly consumption Of heur is
ess than one barrel per capita.
Surely" says the report lone dollar
er annum cannot be regarded rs an
unreasonable advance in the cost Of
wing, considering the level Of wages
lready reached under war condi-
ons." %.stss q
Ne Profit Allowed Farmess.
Although this was the Official recon-
endation of the committee, informal
1t stated that IN recommending $246
) the guaranteed price for 1919 wheat
ley named the minimum; that this.
rice does not include cost Of fertiliz-
81 that 1t allows only per cent In
ease for labor and machinery, where Fl
the government has allowed IS per
mt for these items in fixing prices
other Industries and that, finally,
allows the farmer no percentage Of
oft at OIL. --s-~'''-*Taz"'r="se-
Of all the multitude of commissions
I'd committees handling war activi-
IS at our national capital this COM
ittee is the only representation the
orthern farmer has. That this rec
reached after careful {
curry, should have been utterly ig-
red is sure to call for considerable
especially in view of
e tender solicitude shown the cotton
anter who is making nearly 200 per
MT. profit on the basis Of his present
ices which the administration re-
ses to regulate.