The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-24
WWTASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-
wv A price of S2.2O bushel-
W the same as for last years

=
crop-was fixed by Presi-
dent Wilson tonight for the coming
seasons wheat yield. The price is
for No. l northern spring wheat al
Chicago with a scale of dtferen-
tials for other markets
Differentials differ to a slight ex-
tent from those now operative, and
range from a minimum OF S2.05 to
maximum of S2.28.
In fixing price now for the new
crop, which will not be harvested
until June, the president was be-
lieved to have had two objects in
view. The first was to halt legisla-
ton pending in congress to fix
prices at from $2.25 to So, and the
other was to stimulated spring
planting.
Introduction of the price-raising
bills had begun to check now OF
wheat TO market and food admins
tration officials feared mills soon
would have to close. Hoping the
legislation would become law, the
farmers, it is declared, have refused
to sell at the present price of S2.20.
Price Was S2.2O for 1917.
In enacting the food control law,
congress put guaranteed price OF
So on next seasons crop, and this
has been construed as a minimum
price. To draw wheat to market,
the president fixed a price of $2.ZO
on last seasons yield, and it had
this effect until the price-raising
bills were introduced. Then the flow
began to decline,
Food administration officials have
declared that if the bills passed, the
government would be forced to
raise present prices to the new lev
els, and that to do so would upset
the food administrations -four and
bread program.
The prices fixed, the president de-
clared, would assure the producer of
a reasonable profit. On the basis of
No. | northern spring wheat and its
equivalents, the president fixed the
prices as follows:
Chicago, $220; Omaha, $215;
Kansas City, $2.15; St. Louis, $2.iS;
New York, $22S; Galveston, $22O;
New Orleans, $40; Fort Worth,
500; Oklahoma City, $205; Wich-
ita, Kan, sos.
The equivalents of No. / northern
to which the price applies are No. /
hard winter, No. red winter, No. |
durum and No. hard white. The
wheat must be harvested in the
United States during 1918 and sold
in the market before June |, 1919.
The presidents proclamation
states that the action is to meet
emergency requiring stimulation Of
wheat planting,
Statement by President.
In statement accompanying the
proclamation, the president said:
Under the food control act Of
Aug. 10, 1917, it is my duty to an
nounce a guaranteed price for wheat
OF the 1918 harvest. | am, there
fore, issuing proclamation setting
the price at the principal interior
primary markets. 1t makes no es-
sential alteration in the present
guarantee. 1t is a continuation of
the present prices of wheat, with
some adjustments arising from the
designation of additional 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 III those sections of the world
that are now cut off from transpor-
tation should again come into com
petition with his products.
ITO increase the price Of wheat
above the present figures, or to agi-
tate any increase of price, would
have the effect of very seriously
hampering the large operations of
the nation, and of the allies, by
causing the wheat of last years
crop to be withheld from the mar
ket.
Would Disrupt Wages.
ut would, moreover, diSlocate all
the present wage levels that have
been established after much anxious
discussion, and would, therefore,
create an industrial unrest which
would be harmful to every industry
in the country.
al know the spirit of our farm
ers, 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, and the farmers conf
dence was demonstrated by the fact
that they planted an acreage larger
than the record of any preceding
year, larger by two million acres
than the second largest record