Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-02-24

for other markets.
STIMULATE PLANTING.
In fixing price now for the new
crop, which will not be harvested un.
til June, the president was believed te
have had two objects in view. The
first was to halt legislation pending
in congress to fix prices at from $2.2s
to So, and the other was to stimulate
spring planting.
The introduction of the price rails
ing bills had begun to check the flow
of wheat to market and food admins.
ration officials feared that mills soon
would have to close down. Hoping
the legislation would pass, farmers it
is declared, have been refusing to sell
at the present price of $2.20.
In enacting the food law, congress
put guaranteed price of 81 on next
seasons crop and this has been con-
strued as minimum price. To draw
wheat to market the president fixed
a price of $220 on last seasons yield
and it had this effect until the price
raising bills were introduced. Then
the flow began to stop.
Upset Flour Program.
Food administration officials have
declared that if the bill passed the
government would be forced to raise
present prices to the new levels and
that to do so would upset the food
administrations -four and bread pro-
gram.
On the basis of No. I northern
spring wheat and its equivalents, the
president fixed the prices as follows;
Chicago, $780,. Omaha, $2.l5; Kan
sas City, $2.15; ST. Louis, $2.18; Min
neapo!is, $217; Duluth, $2.17; New
York $228; Philadelphia, $2.27; Balti-
more, SGT; Newport News, $2.27;
Charleston, SC, $2.27; Savannah,
"227; Portland, Ore, $205; Seattle,
:205;' San Francisco, $2.l0; Los
>ngeles, $210; Galveston, $2.20; New
Orleans, $2l0; Salt Lake City, s.;
Great Falls, Mont, 81; Spokane ST.;
Pocatello, Idaho, 81; Fort Worth,
Tex. $209; Oklahoma City, $2,05;
Wichita, Kan, $208.
Fix Selling Date.
The equivalents of No. northern,
10 which the same price applies, are
No. ! hard winter, No. | red winter,
No. | durum and No. hard white.
The wheat must be harvested in the
United States during 1918 and sold
in the market before June |. 1919.
Tia 10 ~ ofin,, ctafac
that the action is to meet all emer-
gency requiring the stimulation of
wheat planting.
In statement accompanying his
proclamation the president said:
Under the food control act of All
gust 10, 1917, it is my duty to an
nounce a guaranteed price for wheat
of the 1918 harvest. l am, therefore,
issuing a proclamation setting the
price at the principal interior primary
markets. 1t makes no essential altera-
ton in the present guarantee. 1t is
continuation of the present prices of
wheat with some adjustments arising
from the designation of additional
terminal marketing points.
Assures Farmers Profit.
This guaranteed price assures TIT:
farmer OF reasonable profit even If
the war should end within the year
and the large stores of grain in those
sections of the world that are now cut
off from transportation should again
come into competition with his prod
ucts. To increase the price OF wheat
above the present figure or to agitate
any increase of price would have the
effect of seriously hampering the large
operations of the nation and of the al
lies by causing the wheat of last
years crop to be withheld from the
market. 1t would, moreover. dislocate
all the present wage levels that have
been established after much anxious
discussion and would, therefore, Gre
ate an industrial unrest which would
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