The Washington herald., 1918-02-22

| Inc complaint ABOUT prlce-nNlnS
is becoming very earnest on the
part of farmers of the nation.
They are also complaining that
the Food Administrations vision is
not as wide as II should be-and
there are some other matters of
more than sectional interest in
which they are displaying some
| emotion.
| The complaints are such that
Congress and the executive powers
here cannot disregard them any
longer.
As an example of kilograms COM
ing in by the hundreds at this very
! time the following is a sample
| and the echo of a complaint which
seems very real and tangible at
| this time:
Cant you do something for us?
| Supply of mutton and lambs seem
| to be sufficient for all needs. Why
not abolish meatless days? II We
do not, we farmers will have to cut
| down production enormously. We
are producing now at appreciable
loss Cannot consumption of both
mutton and beef be encouraged"
| The farmers see many classes of
| business around them which are, so
far as they can see. making no real
| sacrifices. They see big slices of
| corporations profits taken, of
| course, but it is only share of the
| huge profits many of the corpora
| tions are making. They plainly have
| no way to keep on an equality with
| the money-makers, and they natur-
ally threaten to do the only thing
| they can do-reduce' their produc-
ton markedly.
This course cannot be dismissed
as pro-German. Nor can the men
who promise to follow 1t, unless
| conditions change, be charged with
| being disloyaL They are just as
patriotic as any of the men who
could charge them with this, and
/ they are Just as mindful of the
dangers that might be inflicted up
on the nation by Germany's autoc-
racy. And yet they cannot give
away what they have striven for
years to make and which it has
taken much toll and many years of
frugality to assemble.
| Congress is beginning to see the
| immensity of the problem. The
matter will be handled with dis
cretion and with the constant
| thought in mind of the welfare of
| the farmers and of the relationship
| that should exist between the gov
ernment and the agricultural in
| terests.
1t Is refreshing to note in Presi-
| dent Wilson's letter. in this con-
nection, reference to the fact that
the Federal Reserve Bank bill gives
farm and cattle paper an equal
place with commercial and manu-
featuring notes in the placement of
collateral with reserve banks for
loan of money. The President was
opposed to this when the banking
law was in the making. Admins
tration forces were bent on defeat
ing this proposal at that time. But
now they see the good effect OF It
and are glad that they can point to
1t as a secure provision of the big
banking law. Incidentally another
provision which was hard fought
for then by the Democrats who held
some views differing with the ad-
ministration was that of the guar
anty of deposits. The administra-
ton was opposed to this provision
then, but just let 1t be known that
1t indorses the principle. Verify,
time doth make some changes in
| ideas.
An Associated Press story of re-
\ cent date carries the information
that after q conference between
| President Wilson and Chairman
Hurley. of the Shipping Board. it
was claimed that from 1000. 900 to
100000 tons of shipping operat-
ing continuously would be required
to supply a million of our men in
/ France.
What?
Why only short time ago Secre-
tary Baker testified before Sem
ate committee that 100000 would
do the job. Is it possible that Ba-
ker is wrong. And the statement
= made IN connection Nth The