The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-15
PRICE OF SCI TON FOR
TOMATOES NULLIFIED
Price May he Raised to $50 IL Ton,
But 80 Far no Price Has Been
FIXED.

Washington, March 4-Maryland
and Delaware truckers won their
fight today against the plan to fix
the price of tomatoes when the Unit
ed States Food Administration issu-
ed formal statement the practical
effect of which is to nullify the re-
cent announcement it sent out fol
the army and navy purchasing agents
notifying the packers that the Wal
and Navy Departments will contract
| for canned tomatoes on basis OF
| $21 ton for the raw product.
The Food Administration says
! that there prevails some misunder'
| standing over the so-called army anC
navy price-fixing order and that il
! has no power nor desire to fix the
! price of tomatoes. 1t also states
! that Gamers are not required to bic
! for the Government contracts at the
| $21-a-ton basic price, but that can
ners if they wished might submit Of
! fers to furnish tomatoes to the arm!
! and navy at that figure.
Representatives Price and Linthi
! cum stated tonight that the announ,
cement of the Food Administration
clears up the uncertainty over the
so-called price-fXing order, and
Maryland tomato growers can con
tract with perfect safety with can
ners to grow tomatoes at any figure
that may be agreed upon between
them.
The announcement of the Food
Administration follows:
Some misunderstanding on the
part of tomato growers has resulted
from a circular recently issued by
the United States Food AdminiStra
ton conveying to tomato Gamers an
announcement from the army anC
| the navy. The import of this bulle
| tin was that the army and navy were
! ready to receive tenders from can
ners for canned tomatoes based or
! stated prices per ton for raw toma
! toes.
| No Gamer was required to bic
and no limitation was made on the
price per ton which any one might
ask foE his TEN aa tees but the Ar
nouncement was simply that if the
Gamers wished they might make al
! offer to the army and the navy OF
| the basis mentioned.
The Food Administration has NJ
I
of tomatoes
The stand taken by the Food AID
ministration is the direct result O.
the protest made by Representative:
! Price, Linthicum and &Oik, and thu
! large delegation of Maryland ant
! Delaware farmers yesterday. Wa
! Department officials admitted to
night that the announcement of The
! Food Administration would have thu
effect of upsetting their plan to blu.
Maryland and Delaware tomatoes OF
| the SCI ton basis.
t The general impression in Wash
| ington tonight is that the Maryland
! Delaware growers and packers viii
now get together on a $50 tol
| basis. Food Administration Officials
believe the growers should enter in
| to contracts with the packers on
reasonable profit basis, so as to sta
Billie the tomato market, and pre-
vent the wild speculation which cha
| acterized the sale of this product las
year for canning purposes.
If the packers and growers get to
gether on a $50 a ton price, Mr.
Price said it will mean that the Mar.
land tomato growers will get aDou
$1,50O,000 more for their tomatoe
than they would have under the 81
price.
About $4,000 acres are plante'
in tomatoes in Maryland" said MI
Price. The average yield is thre
tons to the acre. If the farmers ge
50 a ton, or s21 an acre more thai
the army and navy initiation price,l
will mean $1,500,000 more to then
this year.
The Food Administration an
nouncement leaves the way open TO
the grower and packer to make thel
own terms 1t clarifies the atmos
phere and should dispel all misap
prehension that the Government
attempting to fix tomato prices. Tn
grower is now at liberty to plant hi
usual crop, and the Gamer is at lib
erty to pay the grower price whic
will guarantee the raising of tina
crop at reasonable profits to all PAL
ties. l am glad the matter has bee
adjusted