The Washington herald., 1918-04-06
$3.50 WHEAT
REQUESITION is
POSSIBLE STEP
If Price Passes Comman-
deering Is Suggested
by Joint Board.

Communicating Of all the wheat in
the country. in the event that Con-
gress raises the price to $3.50 bushel.
Is Recommended in a report framed
jointly by the Food Administration
and the Department of Agriculture.
Wheat growers, general farmers
and general grain men. forming the
Agricultural Advisory Committee,
have determined that the price Of
80 wheat, set by President Wilson
in his latest proclamation, gives the
wheat producers a generous margin
Of profit. This was decided after
numerous committee meetings. and
Herbert Hoover, Food Administrator,
with David F. Houston, Secretary OF
Agriculture. had a final conference
on the problem last evening.
Report Preparing.
An exhaustive report, with reso-
lutions covering the situation, will
be made public within a few days
by the Department of Agriculture.
No forecast OF the recommended
tions was obtaiDable from the De-
partment Of Agriculture or the
Food Administration, but former
Governor Henry C. Stuart. chair
man of the committee, practically
admitted the recommendations.
Boosting Of the price OF wheat,
II is contended, would bring about
a grave emergency because the
wheat men naturally would hold up
their present stocks for the 1913
price. Wheat at s2.5O to the farm
ers would mean approximately SO
at tho terminals and about SIS .
barrel to the consumer, the Food
Administration officials say. The
Gore amendment, providing for
$3.50 wheat, is now back in confer
cnce committee. having been re-
turned yesterday following correc-
tions.
Figures of the Food Administration
show that shipments OF grain AMI
cereals to the allies are 100000 tons
behind the schedule laid down by Mr..
Hoover. since January l. A weekly
shipment OF $4,000 tons was Pianned,
while UP to the present 100000 tons
has been shipped. Reports have been
received from various sources that
wheat producers, awaiting the action
Of Congress on a higher price, are
not sending their products to market.
While the various amendments were
being introduced in Congress by men
from the wheat sections. the Agricul-
turaI Advisory Committee was called
in session to go over the situation.
The price Of $50 was set after
commission. composed mostly of farm
ers. agreed upon it. But a new COM
mittee was called to consideE it again.
Committee Members
This was composed of: c. S. Barrett,
cotton and general agriculture, Union
city. Ga, ". W. Harrah. wheat,
Pendleton, Ore: D. ?. Massie, corn
and wheat, Chillicothe, o.; E. 5.
Brigham, dairyinE and vegetables.
St Albans, Vt: W. L. Brown, live
stock and general agriculture. King
man. Kan; NJ. D. Campbell. milk,
COldwater, Mich; W. r. Dodson,
sugar. rice. cotton. Baton Rouge, La;
l. l.. Funk, live stock and corn,
Bloomington. H.: n. II. Gentry, live
stock and general agriculture, Sc
dalia. Mo-; W. G.. Gordon, live stock,
corn. cotton. Humboldt. Tenn: John
Grattan. general agriculture. Golden,
Colo; in. Hagan, live stock and
grain. Bismorck. n. D.; F. ]. Hagen
barth, live stock and general agri-
culture. Spencer, Idaho; C. w. Hunt,
live stock and corn. Logan, Iowa; H.
w. Jeffers, milk and poultry,
PlainsbOro. N J.; Isaac Lincoln. live
stock and grain, Aberdeen, S. D.; d.
o. Mahoney. daiTying, VirOqua, Wis,
George c. Reading, general agricul-
ture, Fresno. Cal; VI. SAMSON, gem
eral agriculture. Fort Worth, Tex:
II. c. Stuart, live stock, Elk Garden,
Va; c. J. Tyson, general agriculture,
FloradaIe, Pa: Oliver Wilson. gen
eral agriculture, Peoria. Ill. Former
Governor Stuart, of Virginia, was
chairman of the committee.
Whole Problem Discussed.
The committee discussed the whole
problem, not merely from the stand
point Of the f.rner, but OF its broad
9ppliCatiO TO the war and the great
necessity of this country keeping up
n continuous flow of food across the
ocean. Little pessiruism IS expressed
ut the Food Administration in respect
20 the failure to keep up with Mr..
Ftooyer's schedule, which was delayed
argely by transportation difficulties.
Confidence is strong that with addi-
tional shipping the supplies can Oe
increased so there will be little real
peril. but 1t is known that the Food
! Administration feels that the country
must be prepared to meet stringent
effnaffora yIyifh larpa aacri6naa