The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-03-08
PRICE OF WHEAT
FIXED BY WILSON
Makes Figure For Northwest
Farmers SILT Per BusheI,
Same As Last Year.
PROCLAMATION ISSUED
Assures Farmer Of Reasonable
Profit Even II War Should
End Within the Year,

End Within the Year.
Washington, Feb. rs. 800 President
Wilson has issued . proclamation
fixing the price for the coming sea
sons wheat yield. The price is $2.17
per bushel at Minneapolis and 1920
at Chicago, and is for No. l northern
spring.
President Makes Statement.
In a statement accompanying his
proclamation, the President said:
Under the food control act Of
August 10, 1917. it is my duty to an
nounce a guaranteed price for wheat
Of the 1918 harvest. am, therefore,
issuing a proclamation setting the
price at the principal interior pri.
mary markets. 1t makes no essen.
tial alteration in the present guaranty.
1t is a continuation of the present
price of wheat with some adjustments
arising from the designation of add.
tional terminal marketing points.
This guaranteed price U the
farmer of q reasonable profit even ii
the wcr should end within the year
and the large stores Of grain in those
sections of the world that are now
cut OF from transportation should
again come into competition with hin
products. To increase the price OF
wheat above the present figure or to
agitate any increase OF price would
have the effect Of very seriously ham.
pering the large operations of the
nation and Of the country's Allies by
causing the wheat of last years crop
to be withheld from the market.
It would, however. dislocate the pres
emit wage levels that have been es.
tablished after much anxious discus.
sion and would, therefore, create an
industrial unrest which would be
harmful to every industry In the coun.
try.
II know the spirit OF our farmers
and have not the least doubt as to the
loyalty with which they will accept
the present decision. The fall wheat
planting, which furnishes two-thirds
OF our wheat production, took place
with no other assurance than this
The farmers confidence was demon.
strated BY the fact that they planted
IN acreage larger than the record OF
any preceding year, larger by two mil
lion acres than the second largest
record year. and seven million acres
more than the average for the i've
years before the outbreak Of the Eu.
ropean
1T seems not to be generally under.
stood why wheat Is picked out for
price determination and only wheat
among the cereals. The answer is
that while normal distribution of ali
Jul farm products has been subject
to great disturbances during the last
three years because of war conditions
only two commodities, namely. wheat
and sugar, have been so seriously If
fected az to require governmental In
tervention.
Must Prevent Speculation.
THE disturbances which affec,
these products, and others In q less
degree, arise from the fact that ali
OF the overseas shipping In the world
Is now under government control and
that the government Is Obliged to as
sign tonnage to each commodity that
enters into commercial overseas tfaf
&c. Il has, consequently, been nee
essary to establish single agencies
for the purchase Of the food supplies
which must go abroad. Nhe purchase
Of wheat In the United States for for
eign use 10 Of 70 great volume II
comparison with the available domes
tic supply that the price Of wheat has
been materially disturbed and Il BE-
came necessary, IN order to protect
both tho producer and the consumer
tosprevent speculation. It was nee
eoSary, therefore,, for the gOverrmen,
70 exercise . MEASURE Of direct super
vision - tar % possible to control
purchases OF wheat and the processei
Of it. expectation. This supervision
necessarily amounted to price fixing
and !, therefore, thought It fair and
wise that there should be q price
stated that should be at once liberal
and equitable.
Farmer Relied Upon.
eThose peculiar circumstances gov
ern1ng the handling and consumption
OF wheat put the farmer ct the very
center Of war service. Next to the sol
der himself he Ia serving the c0un'
try and the world and serving It In .
way which 70 absolutely fundamental
to Ills own future safety and prosper,
lty. He secs this and can be relied
W8O0 - S10 0Ot010G C&Us
ssThe farmer II also contributing
mon to the army, and ! nm keenly
alive 70 the sacrifices involved. Out
Of 13,0O0,0OO men engaged IN farm
Industries, 100000 have been drafted,
Or about las per cent Of the whole
number. In addition 70 these there
have been volunteers. and the fayna-
orr have lost Z considerable number
Of laboreFs because the wages paid
81 Industrial pursuits drew them
away. IN order to relieve the farm.
1ng Industry - Tar - possible from
y. .. Aviators Get New Marks.
San Antonio. Tex. Feb. IS. - All
previous records for total number OF
1ytng hours were broken ct Kelly
Dn1h whan = total ar 0S1 flyin9 hourr