Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-12

Ominous signs OF dissatisfaction
among the wheat, wool and cattle
growers Of tho West and Middle West
increase. Accusations that tho South
Is favored unfairly because no limits
Nave been put on tho prices OF raw
and manufactured cotton become moro
frequent in the newspapers and IN tho
debates in both houses of Coneress
Sectional and class feeling is being
stirred. Occasional remarks In House
and Senate show rising hostility among
farmers against the cities and organ
lied labor. Evidence OF this Is seen
in the decir!ye votes Of both houses
last week fo- higher wheat, In the face
of 4 promised 1000. 900, 900 bushel crop.
meaning 1oo.ooo.o0o barrels OF flour
above our consumption I'm this country
The Senate has been holding out I'VE
weeks for $3.50 bushcl for wheat
The House, after long resistance, com.
developed several bitter repetitions Of
the statement that the agreement be-
tween the houses had been prevented
by three representatives from cotton
States. The vote for higher wheat
was more than two-thirds In the Senate
and practically the same proportion
in the House.
Congress- did not intend when it un-
dertook TO put a price on wheat last
year TO fix q limit above which it
should not go. The real purpose was
TO establish IL minimum. TO encourage
the growing Of wheat by making sure
that it should not be sold at less than
- bushel so that farmers might be
secured against loss on their crop. The
legal rate. $500 at Chicago for No. i,
was decided by committee appointed
by tfG President, composed OF bust
ness men. organized labor men and
farmers. Tho farmers. in the. minority,
fought for $3.50. wheat then selling m
the open market at around So Some
or the labor men demanded as low
as @l.So The compelling argument for
compromise was that wheat and Hour
were the supreme needs of the allies
and that We we're pledged 10 supply
them at the lowest possible prices. Tia.
minimum rate was made the maximum
oy executive action. dealers and miliers
who offered more being threatened with
loss OF their licenses.
The four and half bushels ,e4
pounds. OF wheat which make a loG-
pound barrel OF -four sell at Chicago
Tor 1920. Flour is limited TO 3ll a
barrel. The other sixty-eight pounds
Is in bran and mil! feed The bran
now is used largely for human food
and has gone to $50 a ton, which in
with valuable by-product. Some OF
these are accused. in recent ofncial
reports. OF taking profits as high as
500 per cent. The farmers are con-
tending that between what they net
Tor wheat and what the bakers re,
for the 600 ioaves Of bread a barrel OF
Hour makes the margin ID too wide.
allowing them too small n share and
The elevators. millers. transportation
companies. Wholesale and retail dealers
and bakers too much-that they must
DO the hard work and take all the
risks and get little or nothing OF the
money proceeds. Some OF them insist
that with farm labor from 100 10 200
per cent above the wages Of two years
ago and all machinery. tools and sun
plies rising every day - would no.
more Than give Il fair profit.
More than half the hides bought~in
tEls country are from tho farmers and
Inc small town butchers The rest
come from the big meat packers. These
are allowed. by government reEuln
ton, a standard price OF "a cents. with
~ per cent OF for salt and extra
Weight. Tm1 small Producers, havlar
Inferior facilities for cleaning and pre-
pairing. are allowed less by the govern
rent and practically are 1T the mercy
OF dealers. who Offer uniform rate OF