The Wahpeton times., 1918-03-28
GEO, 600, QUO bushels Of wheat and tae /

GEO, ,OOO,OCO bushels of wheat and the
5O,NO0,ON surplus of rye grown in
America in 1917. Its job is TO find q
market for every bushel, irrespective
Of class and grade. Under ITS patron
age, wheat screenings are moving Just
as easily as No. Northern. 1t must
also work out satisfactorily the local
prices for wheat at each of almost
.2O,OOO country elevator points, adjust
thousands Of complaints. organize the
gathering and analysis of date, inspect
concerns reported as dealing unfairly.
solve veXntious disagreements, among
the trade. and deal effectively with the
allies purchasing agent and the neu-
trails who may desire to purchase
In the early days. following the de-
termination Of prices for 1917 whca!
by the Presidents Fair Price Commits
sion. confusion existed i'm every part of
the whrat-prmlucing regions. This WAS
intensified by the Inauguration "f The
new grain grades. as promulgated by
the Department Of Agriculture. which
took place about the same time, ana
led to diverse complaints and feel
ing among farmers that the Grain Cor
poration Of the Food Administration
was responsible for both the price as
determined and stricter observance Il
grain grades. But the corporation was
responsible for neither act. Il 10 pure,
Iy an administrative arm Of the Gov.
ernment formed to buy grain or super.
wise it's sale at the prices determined
BY tae commission, and It must do ito
work on the basis Of the new grades.
But to return to our farmer and Ills
expectations of price.
Introducing Two Bushels Of Wheat.
Lying side by side in his wagon had
been bushels of wheat that fate had
marked for strangely different ends.
They were very much alike, those
bushels Of wheat, and to look at them,
you would not have suspected the
strange and wonderful adventures in
store for them. Yet one was destined
to travel abroad for consumption in
France; the other to dnd its way into
Georgia. where It was milled and it's
flour finally reached a New York
baker on the East Side. But in the
sum Of the travels made by the two,|
as We shall follow them, will be un-.
folded the international panorama of
wheat marketing in time Of war.
Finding a Price at a Country Point.
High war costs Of production gave
our Missouri farmer much concern as
to his returns and accounted for his
depression over the prospects of his
wheat grading down: for that meant
q reduction Of 3 cents per bushel un-
der the No. grade. But 1t graded|
No. .
The elevator would also deduct an
additional 5 cents a buShel to cover the
fixed charge made in this locality for
handling and selling The Scent
charge included the commission of I
cent per buShel customary in 1917
among commission men for selling the
wheat to domestic millers or. foreign
buyers.
The elevator man was none too sure
as to how to get ut the price which
this wheat should bring He knew
considerably more about human nature
than freight rates and decided to-
"check up the problem to the nearest.
zone agent of the Grain Corporation.
SO he wrote, a letter to the representa-
tive stationed mt st. Louis. That let
ter was referred to the traffic eXpertt
IN the New York office, who transmit
ted the following rule for determining
the price of wheat at any country
point:
There is only one price for wheat at
country point. That price is always
to be arrived at by taking as basis
the price at the most advantageous
primary market where we have fixed
price and deducting the freight to
that market and fair handling profit.
That is the price to be paid for wheat
at any station, regardless Of the point
to which It may be shipped.
Working out the price which should
be paid for wheat at your station is
a fine occupation for an off day. If
you cannot find the answer. write to
the Food Administration Grain Cor
poration in New York City and its
traffic expert will give you aid.
Finding the Price Of No. 2 Wheat at
Sikeston.
- !: !: :: :: !: =: E; 6: !;
WV An elevator man in
E,A> n No. = wheat should
bring at his station
when No. l wheat
at New York City was SIS per BUSH
el. Here is how he went about it:
The freight rate from Sikeston to