Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1918-07-18


price Of wheat to $40 per bushel.
Members of congress from wheat
growing states will make a fight to
pass the bill over the veto, but lndl-
cations are that the wheat-prlce pro-
visions will be eliminated. The presl-
dents message said the increase IN
the price Of wheat would add " TO
the cost of a barrel of flour, ana
would add 1887 100000 to the price OF
the 900,O00,0O0 bushel crop OF 1913
wheat.
The Presidents Message.
The presidents message follows:
II regret to return without my sig
nature so important a measure as
III. r. 1854, entitled AN Act Making
Appropriations for the Department OF
Agriculture for the Fiscal Year End
ing June 80, 1919 but I feel con-
strained to do so because of my earn
est dissent from the point Of view OF
principle as we'll as wise eXpediency,
from the provisions of that part or
section IA which prescribes a uniform
spring wheat of $40 a bushel.
II dissent upon principle because l
believe that such inelastic legislative
price provisions are insusceptible OF
being administered in a way that will
be advantageous either to the pro-
Queer Or to the consumer, establish
ing as they do arbitrary levels which
are quite independent of the normal
market conditions.
"It is evident that the present
method of determining the price to be
paid for wheat has had the most slim
wating effect upon production, the es-
timated crop of spring wheat for this
yef.r exceeding all high records in a
very remarkable and gratifying way.
By an overwhelming majority Of the
farmers of the United States the price
ADMINISTRATIVE fixed has been re-
garded as fair and liberal, and objec-
tons to it have come only from those
sections Of the country where, unfOrtu-
nately, it has in recent years proved
impossible to rely upon climatic con-
ditiOns to produce full crop Of wheat
and where, therefore, many disap-
pointments to the farmer have proven
to be unavoidable.
Not Necessary to Buy Farmers.
PERSONALLY, I do not believe that
the farmers of the country depend
upon the stimulation Of price to do
their utmost to serve the nation and
the world at this time of crisis by ex-
erting themselves to an extraordinary
degree to produce the largest and best
crops possible. Their patriotic spirit
in this matter has been worthy Of al
praise and has shown them playing
most admirable and gratifying part in
the full mobilization of the resources
of the country.
''TO a very greatly increased pro-
duction of wheat they have added an
increased production Of almost every
other important grain, so that our
graDaries are likely to overflow, and
the anxiety of the nations arrayed
against Germany with regard to their
food supplies has been relieved.
"The administrative method of
agreeing upon fair price has this
very great advantage, which any ele-
ment of rigidity would in large part
destrOy--namely the advantage Of
f1exibility, of rendering possible at
every stage and in the view of every
change of experience reimbursement
which will be fair alike to producer
and consumer.
"a fixed minimum price of $2.4O
bushel would, it is estimated, add 81
barrel to the price Of flour; in other
words, raise the price Of flour from the
present price Of 5000 to $3.50 at the
mill: and inasmuch as we are antici-
pating a crop Of approximately 900-
100000 bushels Of wheat, this increase
would be equivalent to the immense
sum of 1887 100000.
"Such an increase in the price of
wheat in the United States would force
q corresponding iCtease in the price
of Canadian wheat The allied govern
ments would, of course, be obliged to
make all of their purchases at the in
creased figure, and the whole scale of
their financial operations in this coun-
try. in which the government Of tn
United States is directly assisting,
would be thereby correspondingly en-
larged.
s"The increase would also add very
materially to the cost OF living, and
there would inevitably enSue an in
crease in the wage paid in practically
every industry in the country. These
added financial and economic difficult
tfes. affecting practically the whole
world, cannot, ]. assume, have been in
contemplation by the congress in pass
ing this legislation.
WOODROW WILSON,"