Smyrna times., 1918-03-20
I1Nl1O PRICE LEFT OPEN
FOR DELAWARE FARMERS
AoMINIsTRATlON NEVER
FoU ''+eNoED FIXING THE PRICE

.oHciaIIy Received at Meeting
S'pOII vant County Farm Bureau at
o. ooser ~" With Great Applause
,..uers of Smyrna and vicinity
!. bod been laying their plans to
'a' VI ont nt- tomatoes and received a jar
SCI 1,iv Ut when the report was pub
ieISn''I a tbat the Government had fixed
i''n'' .f g. Or a basket, had their sorrow
PilY' .bsorin - turned to Joy last Wed
anu .r 'r'' when Food Administrator
G9r 1s'u~' .ent 3 letter to United States
nSoto, n.Y salisbury that the Bulletin
s'.r'a unoation which was issued by the
n.e5 Administration, "did not and
lv.' rot intended as fixing the per ton
s'. uh;cb nroducers in Delaware. Mary
'.5 ord other states mentioned, must
',n ' their tomatoes. 1t was, as ap-
y. IN ifs face. a bulletin OF IN
pnot;on TO Gamers that the Army
lY, 5Novv for the tomatoes needed by
'.om a was ready to receive tenders
/ ,. s.0m Gamers. if they desired to make
,ha same for canned tomatoes based
'. tho nrices stated per ton of toma-
w. .... No one was required to bid and
:, limitation was made on the price
nov toD which anyone might ask for
4. tomatoes but simply that if the
,.rDers wished they might make an
,#or 70 the Army and Navy on basis
cautioned The Food Administration
bs, no power and no desire to fix the
mce of tomatoes.
nos0ation of Farmers Enter Protest
MARYLAND and Delaware farmers
Astly refused to grow any tomatoes this
wear unless the price of $21 per to1
Il gss increased. This ultimatum was
delivered Wednesday night to Colonel
n William K. Groge, the army purchase
II ng officer at Washington, who, in
wniunction with the navy purchasing
wsnt. fixed the price on which con-
rscts for the army and navy were tC
s based. 1t was issued by delega
INN Of fifty farmers from Maryland
II md Delaware after an entire after
III Moons discussion of the situation
They declared that the cost Of grow
ing tomatoes this year would run from
$40 to S115 an acre, price tina
made it impossible to raise tomatOe
at S21 ton and they threatened t
put their land in corn and other pro
ducts to make a decent living. ReI
resentatives Price and Linthicum G
Maryland, and Polk of Delaware, re
NAMED to warn Colonel Grove ths
The men we're thoroughly in earnest
State Food Administrator Mitchell {
Nlsware with Mr.. Hoover the U.
FOOD Administrator and represents
tVes Of the growers and packers I
Maryland and New Jersey discuss'
the situation, and it was thought be
| 70 issue a statement
800 Farmers at Farm Bureau Meetir
Pursuant to the above fully eig
n hundred farmers attended the meetir
II OF the Farm Bureau in Dover Fridi
and received the report of the speci
committee just returned from Was
4 iagtOn on the subject. That there wou
Oeno price fixing of $21 GO ton a
mat there would be an open mark
was received with applause. Chai
man Soper and 3. Fl. Moore report
satisfactory trip. They each we
warmly received by the Delawa
ueegatlon in Congress and were gu
'ed BY them in the Senate chamh
WIN the assurance that no price
@natoeS had been set by any divisi
VI lne government whatever. AS
'us selling of poultry, it was stat
mat Senator Wolcott told Mr.. Moo
i" go back to Delaware and sell
"e mems he desired and get all he CO.
40' 'nem. After tremendous applal
aHsing vote of thanks was extent
" 'ne committee for its most satisf
"'y report and interest in the matt
"O"on to Set Price at Soc Taboo
wotion was made that the fal
e. VI Aent county agree to contr
gl gn tomatoes for the present season
~ centS a basket. This motion m
y non'member of the bureau.
Lar" '.a'ed out of order and generl
i'u4enned. The sentiment of m,
~s Was that the farmers ought
l.. S,es 70 contract at any set DR.
I1' ~. Jake their chances as many
thereby. ~ pi'
0'' Fort of New Jersey a spe;
I-GoVernOr Fort, of New Ter
m,n;. 'nOer of the national food
E,''ratlon, E,t1s spoke, and there is
~, ,e doubt that Delaware farr