Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-02-28

.hie e~vor r.as vNe<s tsan d COS fsadsSs
;s:..y all t'~ HHo 'ho coat "''d wi" resH"
c=s-.:---::= #
DAILY CsErN h., ExECvl-vE RULE
II any izaiv!ISai OF combination Of In.
d'viaua!s III Vernon. 10 iuclined to CON-
plain because Of tho steps taken 10 con-
esrve rod asd o.he- nccessarics, coasoi..
H3n Liny bs found in the fact chat We
have been enjoying remarkable imiarni:y
compared with the worst, which 10 yet
20 CONT. With the President of the Un,-
:ed States authorised Or directed &c As
the price OF wncat md 70 regulate tra,n-
pertation. there Is logically and politically
and coautit0tionally no limit apparently
10 tho powors that may be vested in him
Ct this time under the plea Of war necessi-
ties.
MaalfSst!y war necessities" may be
stretched to cover a multitude Of political
stnsor party necessities. It Is difficult to see
now the loading UP Of the executive with
all sorts Of things having not the remotest
relation TO the war can be war necesi-
ties" Unless you say thumbs up when
anybody in Washington says war neces-
stiles" you are a traitor. at least to the
administration.
Be all this as II may President Wilson
has got the start Of most farmers by put
ting in the seed for the wheat harvest of
1918. He has issued a proclamation Ak
ing the guaranteed minimum price for the
1918 wheat crop at 500, thus continuing
the rate determined upon by the Garfield
the same time the President served no.
tice on Congress that he was unalterably
opposed to bills which had been submit
ted to raise the minimum to $3.50 a bushel
or more.
To increase the price of wheat above
the present figure or to agitate such an
increase. the President said. would have
the serious effect Of dislocating wage
levels and Of causing the wheat to be
withheld from the market, thus hamper
ing the program for feeding the nation
and its allies. He called upon the farm
ers to cooperate with the government in
the present crisis by making the crops
available at the earliest moment.
The position taken by the President. 1t
is felt generally, will result in his exercis-
ing the power of the veto If bills now
pending in Congress for price increases
are adopted. Senator Gore has submit
ted bill fixing the minimum guarantee
at $3.50 and Senator McCumber of North
Dakota has bill jumping the guarantee
to $2.75 a bushel.
1t is understood that the statements en-
anating from the Senate that there was
considerable sentiment for the adoption
Of the Gore bill brought about action by
the President at this time. The food ad-
ministration has contended that the in
crease to $3.50 or more would work havoc
to it's plans and that there was already
evidence that agitation in Congress was
having harmful effect.
One prediction made is that the pros
pect of considerably higher guarantee
able being hello bacl, and thar the nation
will soon facs a serious situation which
might even make neccssary efforts on its
part to commanded wnea- on thu farms,
an almost Impossible task
Bread prices. t ~ prsdic.ac. would ad-
vance at least % per cent. and 50 per
cent. Of the population would 30 called
upon to assume the onr1e0 OF paying the
increase to the other l. ,,er cent repre-
scented by the producers. who were al
ready obtaining 100 per cont. moro tAa.,
the thrse-ysar prs-war average.
:n IN, meantime tho situation Is further
.anp,:l' 81 BY the recommendation Ivy
.he Houss agricultural: bill Of a drastic
sosa conservation BILL. designed to enable
.ver noss, ana sa:,nr-houc. rssions. and
=, ,:rIeA IN tn scope al t. make :. pos"
s'Sic rcs hin. 20 SaE'rei conservation In
.;erJ aonA ~ fnhriE distribute, O;
INA sur5lTs. rcA dill 1oss no. LYsc
.,n.t h,ld.rs tN~ctIJ. EJ~Svef
Iris measure authorizes segula.,sAa 20
eiruirats nnn,ssEss.y waste by inanu-
f.n.uv.rs Of tooA,;ins. al, enasnrsses
he Lss CT >du:ts,Ants with whoa: -four
in rr,isns and In i"grsoisrts o. brood.
"hs .trort racAils 'Fst tho PrssiAoSt EAs
70 .,ovar 20 cato: 20 coononiy s., oensun o.
,ns aness the sssnng fooG Law. anil thss
,hs nuos.sss of rsnsArv alton pIAns dsp<"da
ensiys:y 1907. the "o: astAJy cs-cpssstlon
Of The Ias:.e.
"rhs GOOD siuasiar ~ II sCs"ts rs ann
our allies 10 hecanhns 10 crisiesily serio "
~ to wasvsns the committee In tho belief
Eat rhs necessity % upt'n ~ sor adopting
compulsory ,nsthods OF cosss.vat ton In
certa:. well.dsdnAd f'rsn.,oas. 1t would
ne .cc.:nh tor rs TO shut our eyes TO he
.ar,s. II would be eowardiy in W TO fa:l
to attack the problem az waite N food
,tuffs In TIE nsost v:Hmlus manner. The
bill ~ dns'Gnsd to :ruei a situation which
is c!o.n;y allied 70 conservation. II we
rhip TO N,vape all OF our sxportab!s sur
nj, ~ In IN 81 Ia wnluU