The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-02-28
VINCENT PRESENTS PETITION
Kenosha County Assemblyman Joins
With Many Prominent Farmers In
State in Telling the Governor and
Legislature of Farm Conditions.

IdFHeES OISdHlAdlIOhS from dill SEES
sions of Wisconsin have worked out a
cooperative program relating to the
agricultural side of the war. This
program was presented in the assembly
today in the form of signed letter,
by Assemblyman d. j. Vincent, Of Ke-
nosha county. The same letter has
been presented to Governor Philip by
q committee Of these farmers organi-
cations. So far Governor Philip has
made no reply to the matter, but As
semblyman Vincent, believing that
it is of the greatest Importance
that the farmers viewpoint be known,
presented the following letter in
the assembly today:
There exists an acute and serious
shortage Of seed, especially seed corn,
which in the words Of G. P. Norgord,
commissioner Of agriculture, is nothing
short of calamity. We know flat
the State Council of Defense and the
County Councils of Defense are. doing
something to purchase and distribute
seed corn to the farmers. We fear
however, that the work is not being
pressed with the vigor that the situa-
ton demands; and we believe that Tho
State Council Of Defense should imme
diately take steps to secure seed su
fcient to meet the needs Of Wisconsin
farmers. The present sum Of $4,000
which has been appropriated for this
purpose we believe to be totally made
quate inasmuch as nearly one hundred
thousand bushels of seed must be pur-
chased outside the state, involving
in all probability sum over
millioa dollars
The situation with respect to feed
for livestock is very bad In many
sections of the state there are insult
feicnt home grown grains and often
roughage to carry livestock through to
the grass growing months AS for mill
feeds, the supply is totally inadequate,
and the federal food administration
has as yet failed to materialize.
The outlook for purchasing other
farm supplies such as clover and alfal-
ia seeds, fertilizers, spraying materials,
farm machinery, etc, is. discouraging,
and prices are advancing by leaps and
bounds as evidenced by "a recent in
crease of $500 per cwt for the best
grades of clover seed which is now
quoted at $4,000 per cwt. at wholesale
The public generally does not realize
the serious damage to- crops last year
owing to a late spring, a cold and
backward summer and early frosts
which damaged or completely ruined
thousands upon thousands of acres of
corn, potatoes, beans and tobacco.
Last spring farmers of this state
were urged to grow bumper crop of
potatoes. At great expense, the farm-
ers cheerfully planted, grew and har
vested, under extremely trying con
ditions, one of the greatest potato
crops on record.
Today, tens of thousands of bushels
die in cellars and warehouses, cars being
unavailable to move them and prices
so low as to be insufficient to cover
cost of production. The same condi-
ton applies to cabbage and onions.
A federal commission has recently
been appointed by Federal Food Ad-
ministrator Harry A. Wheeler of Chi
cage, to determine a fair price for
milk. 1t was announced that this com
mission would have it's findings on the
cost of producing milk plus reason
able profit Evidence of this cost was
given in sworn statements made by
actual dairymen and also by dairy ex-
perts of national reputation. The com
mission disregarded the facts and ar
bitrarily fixed price to be paid the
farmers of 1907 per cwt for the month
of February, and also laid down a
schedule of prices for the months of
March, April, May and June, the price
for June being $3.50 per cwt A
minority Of the commission consisting
of Prof. p G. Holden, agricultural ex-
pert of the International Harvester
Company; Dean Davenport of the Uni
versity of Illinois, and w. j. Kittle,
secretary of the Chicago Milk Produc-
ers Association, refused to sign
the majority report.
It is impossible for dairymen to pro-
duce milk at the prices fixed without
a serious loss. Already we have posi-
tive proof that many dairymen have
sold a part of their herds and that many
others are making plans to do so.