The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-24
ExPl AIMS ORDER
on WHEAT PRICE
Presidents Proclamation in
Condensed Form Given
for Farmers.
$500 SET IN MONTANA
Intaprets Guarantee Placed
by Government to Boost
Production.

To emphasize the certainty OF fair
market for all the wheat farmers of
the United States can grow this year.
the food administration desires that
wide rural publicity be given the pres
ident's proclamation of February 81
guaranteeing wheat prices for 1918.
Matters on which clear understanding
- especially necessary are discussed
in the Following paragraphs:
No essential Change From Present
Price.
The guaranteed price for wheat Of
the 1918 harvest makes no essential
alteration In the present guarantee. 1t
will be remembered that the present
price was arrived at by an independent
commission appointed by the president.
upon which the farming community
was represented by six members out of
eleven. The new guaranteed price for
No. northern spring wheat and its
equivalent ranges from $500 per BUSH
FL for far-wcst interior points to $2.27
and 42.2S at the Atlantic seaboard.
End Of War Viii Not Affect Guarantee.
This guarantee price assures the
farmer Of q reasonable profit even II
the war should end within year and
the large stores OF grain In those sec
tons OF the world now cut off from
transportation should again come into
net rt,ifh n fc r.n ~
guarantee applies ~ wheat harvested
in the United States during 1918 and
offered for sale before June /, 1919, at
any Of the 25 specified markets.
Prioss for Different Grades Of Wheat.
The guaranteed price applies to No.
northern spring wheat and It's equiv
,alent. The equivalent wheats are:
No. / hard winter. No. l red winter.
No. durum. No. hard white. Prices
for all other grades of wheat estab-
lished under the United States grain
standards act are to be based on the
guaranteed prices at the principal
primary markets and bear just rela-
ton to them.
Why Wheat IL Only Cereal Having a
Fixed Price.
While the normal distribution of all
our farm products has been subject to
great disturbances because of war con-
ditions only wheat and sugar have
been SO seriously affected as to re-
quire government intervention to the
extent of price fixing. lnasmuch as
normal commercial overseas traffic has
fv.N q
allied governments in Europe to set
up single agency for the purchase
OF the whole of their food supplies
abroad. OF American wheat their
purchases are of sufficient volume to
control the price--and this is the only
agricultural commodity where this
maintains.
To Treat Rich and Poor Alike.
In the face of a necessary duty to
reduce our consumption of food-so
badly needed by the Alies--it has
been absolutely necessary to arrive at
a division OF these two commodities
(wheat and sugar. in the common in
terest Of the war aud to control the re-
duced supplies internally, in order that
all may be treated alike--rich and poor
land this implies control Of distri-
button and price.
Should Sc Done Openly and Frankly.
Ali control measures arc the less OF
evils. In wheat we were faced with
a single agency whose proportionate
purchases of the total were such as to
dominate the price. Any Relationship
- 1.fn H., finfs. -
limiting their operations thus becomes
absolutely price fixing and II becomes
at once question as to whether Il
should be done openly and frankly will
cur producing community, or done Sc
cretly at the win OF government off
cials.
Government Control Safeguards Amer
Jean Supply.
In the ordinary course of our whea
marketing, the wheat goes to marke
during the first four months of tn
harvest year and during this period
were no control established with tn
allies and neutrals, it would be en-
tirely possible for them to export fror
the United States such portion Q
our wheat supplies as to leave on
popuiaticn short Of bread. 1t ha
therefore been necessary in the inter
- of the Amercan consumer tina
the government should intervene
speetsct his supplies
Trseee Farmers 20 See Fairness !,
0eejsien.
know the spirit Of our farmers
~ pgeejdent states In his proclams
IT,. siasd have not the slightest doul
- - the loyalty with which they w
q aQeeo< the present decision. The II
~ pDonAtAe which furnishes tw'
Fl r. oee yhaat production to-
\ nt1tber assurance than II