The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1918-05-09
HOOVER KEPT PRICE OF
FLOUR DOWN
Says it Would Have Been Selling at
$50 to $50 per Barrel Had Spec
ulation Been Allowed.
Ii the government had "allowed tn,

| Ii the government had ALLOWED tn
commerce in wheat to take its I'm
lrammelled course" flour would b,
selling at the mill door today fol
$50 to so barrel instead of $40 tc
$1,000, and probably "rioting would
have been experienced in all center.
| OF congcsted population that led tc
| blood in our CUTTERS declared Her
| bert Hoover, federal food adninistra
week.
Mr. Hoover spoke at a conference
Of 100 representative American grain
dealers and officials of the food ad-
ministration's grain division, called to
discuss grain exports and regulation
oi cereal consumption in this country.
Asserting that when flour went to
SIG.z5 barrel at the mill door last
May and resulting hardships dislocat-
ed our entire economic life, Mr..
| Hoover said he did not accuse the
grain trade OF having been responsible
for the situation, but rather blamed
the fact that the allies had to have
wheat and were prepared to pay any
price for it,
a series OF speculations sprang up
thar were deplorable beyond words,
he said, but only microscopic por-
ton OF this speculation was of DELHI
crate or vicious nature. There was no
concerted manipulation, There was
a, total disturbance to the law OF sup
ply and dcmand.'
Taking up the question Of why the
allies cannot use more corn and leave
the wheat ior Americans. Mr.. Hoover
said that corn was short lived and dill
ilcult to ship in the terminating sea-
son and that the allies with little
equipment ior home baking are ig-
rprant OF the art OF making corn
bread. lie added that while the Unit i:
I'd States is now exporting so per y
cent OF its mill output the allies have
lone their part by reducing their i
'crral Consumption 80 per cent. to
,ruyidc America with ships for more T..
soldiers. y
Ii price levels had been allowed to ,
i>r without restraint, the poor would {
rave paid in suffering and the rich in L
rice, he said, adding that any repe- \
ition .: rising price levels such as q
hose oi the Iolo-IoI7 harvest year "
,ould have meant an enormous profit y
. the middenan and would have in
pred the foundation OF social dis
IIntcnt from this reason alone, ii no
Their. =,
Therefore, he said the government -
al placed reduction in consumption
II a voluntary basis.
Il do not believe there is another
alton i'll the world in which the pro- J..
ortion OF individuals OF SO willing a ~
ensc OF voluntary selisacriiice is So NJ
i2h as this people of ours, and moth he
lg has demonstrated it more finely 10
IAN the conservation in wheat" he *,
lid "Today there is no suffering in
c United States and we are actually da
III output to the allies. FL
AT the present moment, our crop III,
aspects look anything from Soo,ooo. ne
o TO oQo.oooooo bushels OF wheat. m;
le harvcsts OF the allies also look M
onisiilg. With this prospect we sa;
IVY have ground for hopes OF plenty
I ourselves and our allies, and in tht
-ad vi famine, we can look forward Ge
an entirely different economic sit to
ton this year from that which con- me-
onted us i'll the summer OF 1917 Inc