Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-02-26
WHEAT PRICES FIXED
BY PRESIDENT RANGE
FROM So TO S2.28
Counts on Loyalty of Farmers
TO Accept Decision = Asks
Exemption Boards to Light
en- Work Upon Them

WASHINGTON. Feb. 23.-Presideat
/ Wilson today raised the governme Mt
guaranteed price for the 1918 wheat
crop as high as S2.2S a bushel in one
primary market and in varying sums
in all other primary markets excsot
four.
Acting under authority of the food
law. the president thus met the agi-
tation in congress for higher prices
and took steps to stimulate production
and prevent holding back the crop while
the agitation was going on.
The prices fixed the president lie
clared. would assure the producer of A
reasonable profit
The Prices
Following are the guaranteed gov
eminent prices for 1918 on No. l north
ern spring wheat and its equivalent at
primary markets in the United States:
Chicago. S2.2O a bushel; Omaha, sails;
Kansas City. s215: Minneapolis. $2.17;
ST. Louis. $2.1s; Duluth, S2.17; New
York City. S2.2S; Philadelphia $2.27;
Baltimore. S2.27; Newport News, $2.27;
Charleston. S. c., s2.27; Savannah, Ca,
s2.27; Portland. Greg, s2.05; Seattle
washn-, S2.O5; san Francisco. &2.1O; Los
Angeles. t2.1O: Galveston. Tex, $2.2O;
New Orleans. S2.20; Salt Lake City, 81;
Great Falls. Mont. So: Spokane. Wash,
20 fOCalellOs ludlO, 60 toTL WoEth
Tex. $2.09; Oklahoma City. Okla, S2.05;
Wichita, Kans.. s2.0s.
The equivalents of No. 1 northern,
to which the same price applies, are
No. l hard winter, No. 1 red winter
durum and No. / hard white. The
wheat must be harvested in the United
States during 1918 and sold in the mar
ket before June 1, 1919. The presi-
dents proclamation states that the ac-
ton is to meet an emergency requir-
ing the stimulation Of wheat planting.
Reasonable Profit Assured
In a statement accompanying his
proclamation the president said:
Under the food control act Of
August 10, 1917, il is my duty to
announce a guaranteed price for
wheat of the 1918 harvest 1 am,
therefore. issuing a proclamation
setting the price at the principal
interior primary markets. II makes
no essential alteration in the pres
ent guarantee. II is a continuation
of the present prices of wheat, with
some adjustments arising from the
designation of additional terminal
marketing points.
This guaranteed price assures
the farmer of a reasonable profit,
even if the war should end within
grain in those sections of the world
that are now cut off from trans
portation should again come into
competition with his products. To
Increase the price of wheat above
the present figure. or to agitate
any increase of price, would have
the effect Of very seriously ham
pering the large operations of the
nation and of the allies by causing
the wheat of last years crop to be
withheld from the market 1t would,
moreover. dislocate all the present
wage levels that have been estab-
lished after much anxious discus
sion and would. therefore, create
an industrial unrest and would be
harmful to every industry in the
country.
Farmers Are Loyal
l know the spirit of our farmers
and have not the least doubt as to
the loyalty with which they will
accept the present decision. The
fall wheat planting, which furnishes
two-thirds % our wheat produc-
ton, took place with no other as
surance than this and the farmers
confidence was demonstrated by the
fact that they planted an acreage
larger than the record of any pre-
ceding year, larger by two million
acres than the second largest rec
ord year. and seven million acres
more than the average for the FIVE
years before the outbreak of the
European war.
1t seems not to be generally I'M
derstood why wheat is picked out
for price determination. and only
wheat, among the cereals. The an
swer is that, while normal distribu-
ton of all our farm products has
beer subject to great disturbances
during the last three years because
OF war conditions, only two impor-
tant commodities. namely, wheat
and sugar. have been so seriously
affected as to require governmental
intervention.
The disturbances which affect
these products (and others in less
degree1 arise from the fact that all
OF the overseas shipping in the
world is now under government con-
troll and that the government is
obliged 10 assign tonnage TO each
commodity that enters into CONNER
cial overseas traffic. 1t has conse-
quently. been necessary to establish
single agencies for the purchase or
the food supplies which must go
abroad. The purchase of wheat in
the United States for foreign use
is Of so great volume in COMPARE
son with the available domestic sup
ply that the price Of wheat has been
materially disturbed and it became
necessary, in order to protect both
the producer and the consumer, to
prevent speculation. II was neces-
sary. therefore, for the government
TO exercise a measure of direct
supervision and as far as possible
to control purchases of wheat and
the processes of its expectation.
This supervision necessarily amount
ed TO price fixing. and I. therefore,
thought IL fair and wise that there
should be "A price stated that
should be at once liberal and equi-
table.
National and local agencies are
actively at work. besides, in or
ganizing community help for the
more efficient distribution of avail
able labor and in drawing upon new
sources of labor. While there will
he difficulties and very serious
ones. they will be difficulties which
are among the stern necessities of
war.
The federal railway admlnstra-
1 ton is cooperating in the most &C
tive, intelligent way with the food
administration to remove the diff
/ ficulties Of transportation and of
/ the active movement of the crops.
Their marketing is to be facilitated
| and the farmers given the opportun-