The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-25

for the five years before the outbreak oil
the European war.
ut seems not TO be generally under
stood why wheat is picked ont for price
determination, and only wheat among
the cereals. The answer is that while
normal distribution of all our farm
products has been subject to great dis.
turbances during the last three years
because of war conditions only two
commodities, namely wheat and sugar
have been so seriously affected as to re.
quire governmental intervention.
"The disturbances which affect these
products land others in less degree)
arise from the fact that all of the over
seas shipping in the world is now under
government control and that the gov
eminent is obliged TO assign tonnage to
each commodity that enters into com
mercial overseas traffic. 1t has conse-
quently been necessary to establish sin
gle agencies for the purchase of the
food supplies which must go abroad
The purchase OF wheat in the United
States for foreign use is of so great vol
ume in comparison with the available
domestic supply that the price of wheat
has been materially disturbed, and il
became necessary, in order to protect
both the producer and the consumer, to
prevent speculation.
ut was necessary, therefore, for the
government to exercise measure of
direct supervision, as far as possible, TO
control purchases Of wheat and the pro-
eesses of its expectation. This super
vision necessarily amounted TO price fix
ing, and / therefore thought il fair and
wise that there should be price stated
that should be at once liberal and equit-
able"
The deficiency in production OF cereals
in the allied countries for the last year
is estimated at 525 1863, 900 bushels. The
average imports to these countries in
peace times are 1871 100000 bushels of
wheat and 345,0O0,000 bushels of other
cereals. II is held that in order to pro-
vide normal consumption it would be
necessary for the allies to import in
he next twelve months jT7 100000 |
bushels of wheat and 674000,000 bush |
lis of other cereals. North America |
rom crops of 1917 had an apparent sur
olus OF 20s.000,000 bushels of wheat and |
80 100000 bushels of other cereals.
The allies found that they We're bid
ling against each other for these food |
upplies and created purchaser in this
COUNTRY.
Inasmuch as the allies were buying a
zig percentage of the wheat which was
oming into American markets last au-
umn the president fixed a wheat price,
ince il would have been possible for
he allied purchaser TO bid down the
rice of wheat to those farmers who
we're forced to sell their crop at an
arly date. On the other hand it was
ossible that the price might have been
id higher by spectators. On the face
{ the situation the United States had
MY 50,0000 900 bushels in excess of its
eeds from its harvest of 550,000,0o0
ushels
II would have been possible during
he early days of delivery for the allies
D have made large purchases, with the
ssult that the home supplies of the /
,untry would have been depleted and |
ne price of wheat jumped to 81 or IS
bushel. As it is the wheat market {
as been stabilized and the United {
tates has shipped to Europe many !
lousand more bushels of wheat than ]
,e 50,O00,0O0 first believed to have /
zen available.