The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1912-1921, 1918-07-11
$40 WHEAT.

p-.tU 0ILA1.
It has always seemed to US anomalous psy
chology to see the efforts made by the people
who do not understand the problems of wheat
production to determine with a dispatch which
belongs only to authority the price which should
be paid the farmer for his product The ana
molly is not so much in the willingness to pass
upon something about which they know moth
ing-for in that respect they are not essen
tally different from the ordinary individual
but rather in their tendency to come to CON
clusion without taking into consideration the
economic factors which ought to govern every
price-regulating process. For some reason OF
other the price of wheat, as our city brethren
see it, is to be limited by what the consumer
tie to do with the settlement In other words
they believe that they will be able and willing
to pay 1920, and therefore and therefrom i'm
mediately conclude that 1920 is a fair price
Illustrative of this kind of thinking the
Washington Post of yesterday says editorially
"It is estimated that $40 wheat would
add at least So barrel to the price of flour
in bulk, and in the last analysis it would
increase the price of bread 2 or 3 cents
leaf. Thus it is not difficult to trace to it's
ultimate effect the proposed increase in the
price of wheat. It would come out of the
people, poor and rich, and flow into the
pockets Of the farmers vTsrs
This years wheat crop is a bumper
about 900000,000 bushels. Every wheat
raiser will reap rich profits at the 1920
price fixed by Congress last year and in
tended by the President to remain in force
for this crop. To add 20 cents bushel to
this price is wholly unwarranted, by
the bodest arguments based upon high
prices for labor, implements, etc. Mr..
Hoover who is intrusted with the manage
nent Of the food supply in this country,
and who is chiefly concerned with the ques-
ton of ample production is opposed to rails
ing the price. In fact SO far as known there
are but two elements who favor 1.-THE
farmers themselves and the members Of the
Senate and House who are elected by the
grace of farmers votes"
We are not so certain that 1920 would give
rich profits to every wheat raiser We are
rot much concerned with any particular price
Rut what does seem to us unusual is the ap
parent tendency to hold brief for predeter
mined price rather than argue from facts te
conclusions. The case of the farmers wheat
price is one which ought to be settled upon the
cost of production, plus a certain fair profit
His situation is exactly that of every producer
he asks no special dispensaticn in the matter
Of income but he does expect, and he has 3
right to expect, to be protected economically as
are all other occupations
The rise in the price of machinery, in ferti
ger, in seed, in labor-in everything that goes
into the production of the crops-is the clue, il
seems to US, to higher price for wheat
Whether it is S2.40 or 1920 is relatively unim
portant SO long as the price reached is baseC
upon those factors which the farmer must take
into consideration when he is raising wheat
Why he should be singled out for exceptiona
misreasoning is beyond u.s. 1t is undeniabl'
that any increase in the price of wheat Woul(
mean an increase in the cost of flour, and there
fore bread, and that this money would even
tually come from the pockets of the mass o
the people-as does the money for every com
modify, and for the increase in price of ever.
commodity But that is neither here nor Their
IN making the decision: the farmer is not call
ed upon to raise wheat for the pleasure of tn
nlasses-he must make his living at it.
RRITISHNOMEN ."HOE'' THEIR HAIR