The Tomahawk., 1918-03-07
PRICEoF WHEAT
FIXED BY WILSON
Makes Figure For Northwest
Farmers SIT Per BusheI,
Same As Last Year.
PROCLAMATION ISSUED
President Declares Guaranteed Price
Assures Farmer Of Reasonable
Profit Even II War Should
End Within the Year.

Profit Even II War Should
End Within the Year.
Washington, Feb. Is. 49, President
Wilson has issued a proclamation
fixing the price for the coming sea
sons wheat yield. The price is S2.17
per bushel at Minneapolis and 1920
at Chicago, and is for No. northern
spring.
President Makes Statement.
In statement accompanying his
proclamation, the President said:
Under the food control act OF
August TO- 1917, it is my duty to an
nounce a guaranteed price for wheat
of the 1918 harvest. l 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.
It is a continuation of the present
price of wheat with some adjustments
arising from the designation of addi-
tional terminal marketing points.
"This guaranteed price assures the
farmer of a reasonable profit even If
the war should end within the year
and the large stores of grain in those
sections of the world that are now
cut off from transportation should
again come into competition with his
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
ent 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
| an 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 dve
years before the outbreak of the Eu
ropean war.
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 all
our 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 at
| fected as to require governmental In
| tertention.
Must Prevent Speculation.
"The disturbances which affect
these products, and others in q less
degree, arise from the fact that all
! 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 traf
flc. It has, consequently, been nee
| essary to establish single agencies
! for the purchase of the food supplies
which must 20 abroad. The purchase
of wheat in the United States for for
eign use is of SO great volume In
comparison with the available domes
tic supply that the price of wheat has
! been materially disturbed and 1t be-
came necessary, in order to protect
both the producer and the consumer
| to prevent speculation. It was nee
essary, therefore, for the government
70 exercise a measure of direct super
vision as far as possible to control
| purchases of wheat and the processes
| of its expectation. This supervision
necessarily amounted to price fixing
and 1, therefore, thought it fair and
wise that there should be price
stated that should be at once liberal
and equitable.
Farmer Relied Upon.
"Those peculiar circumstances gov
erning the handling and consumption
Of wheat put the farmer at the very
center of war service. Next to the sol
der himself he Is serving the coun
| try and the world and serving 1t IN
way which is absolutely Fundamental
| to his own future safety and prosper
tty. He sees this and can be reliet
| uron as the soldier can.
"The farmer is also contributing
to the army, and am keenly
alive to the sacrifices involved. Ou
OF 13,seO,O00 men engaged in farm
industries, 2o5, eco have been drafted
or about 1.4S per cent of the whole
number. In addition to these there
have been volunteers, and the farm
crs have lost a considerable number
CT laborers because the wages pait
IN Industrial pursuits drew them
away. In order to relieve the farm
Ing industry as far as possible IRON
n e Aw,s%are Cat New Marks