The Glenwood post., 1918-09-14
GOVERNMENT WHEAT PRICES

of wheat being paid the farmers Of
Colorado appears to be creating con
fusion which is unnecessary
The president of the United State.
fixed the price of wheat at 1920 pei
bushel for the 1917 crop. The act Of
congress, August 10, 1917, fixed thu
minimum price at $500 per bushel fol
the 1918 crop. Under the same act
the president has conferred on hin
the right to fix rules and regulations
He created the United States grair
corporation and entrusted them Will
the handling of this matter
The United States grain corporation
fixed the receiving points at which the
wheat would be purchased. There arc
eighteen of these so-called receiving
, points, and these which receive the
wheat from Colorado are located al
Kansas City, Omaha and Chicago.
The prices fixed by the grain co..
poration are: At Chicago, 1926; al
Kansas City and Omaha, $2.1s. Th.
price promulgated by the grain cor,
poration for inter mountain basis is
$500 the difference being made up by
the freight or cost of transportation.
| 1t is, therefore, clear that farmers
delivering wheat in Colorado will re
ceive on the basis of $500 per bushel
If the farmer choose to load as
wheat on cars and ship it himself,
| cleaned and prepared according to tht
rules existing, he will receive. the full
price of $500 delivered at railroad
points in Colorado less, in some cases,
one per cent commission ordered by
the grain corporation for handling.
The farmer, except in the rarest in,
stances, does not produce from the
thresher a marketable product, which
will obtain the full price.
To clean the wheat, to produce the
product stipulated, he must call to his
assistance plants constructed for this
purpose. If the farmer elect to have
his wheat cleaned at Kansas City,
Omaha or Chicago, the grain corpora
tion will take charge of it and account
! to the farmer for the full price less
dockage.
If the farmer elect, however, to de-
! liver his wheat to the nearest elevator
which is the usual procedure this dock
age is supplemented by cleaning
charge which the elevator must obtain
to pay it for handling, treatment, in,
terest, and other charges, such as are
necessary part of any business.
The grain corporation has suggested
this charge as between five and eight
cents per bushel, but it did not make
an absolute rule on account of the
varying conditions of cost existing at
the various elevators.
The actual prices which have been
paid to farmers by the elevators and
the mills receiving the wheat have
varied, but on an average are $1.92
to $l.96 per bushel.
But the public is not interested from
| the standpoint of consumer in the
price of wheat. 1t is the price of flour
which interests it.
The price of flour varies at different
points and is based on the price of thu
wheat at the same point and is made up
from the price of the wheat plus the
milling charge allowed. by the grain
corporation and this is the same at
every place in the country.
| Therefore, if the farmer in Colorado
receives $l.92 for his wheat, the COLI
sumer will pay less price for flour
in Colorado than the consumer in Chi
cago or Kansas City or Omaha, where
the price paid for wheat is respective
ly 1926 and $2.ls per bushel.
In spite of the careful inquiry and
investigation the cases of profiteerine
by the millers have been few and faI
between, and in nearly every instance
have been based not on intention, but
on Ignorance and have been cases
which occurred in small mills in the
rural districts.
There has been no business more
carefully supervised and controlled
than that of wheat milling by this
United States food administration.
The federal food administration OF
Colorado stands ready to penalize any
profiteer and solicits proofs and III
formation
THOMAS B. STEARNS,
| \ A. NJ. CHENEY,
u.... Educatiopal Director
l Cant lQlQ