Middletown transcript., 1918-03-02
OLD. PRICE SET
FOR NEW WHEAT
President Refuses to Put Limit
Above That for 1917
TO PUr END TO AGITATION
President In Proclamation Requires
Wheat At Prices Fixed Must Be
Harvested During 1918 And.
Sold Before June, 1919.

Wheat At Prices Fixed Must Be
Harvested During 1918 And,
Sold Before June, 1919.
Washington.-A price of 1920 a
bushel-the same as for last years
orop-was fixed by President Wilson
for the coming seasons wheat yield.
The price is for No. 1 Northern spring
wheat at Chicago, with a scale of
dinerentials for. other markets. The
differentials differ to a slight extent
from those now operative and range
from q minimum of 81 to a maximum
Of 1928.
In fixing a price now for the new
crop. which will not be harvested un-
til June, the President was believed
to have had two objects in view.
The first was to halt legislation pend
ing in Congress to fix prices at from
$2.25~ to 50 and the other was to stimu-
late spring planting.
The introduction of the price-rais-
Ing bills had begun to check the flow
Of wheat to market, and Food Ad-
ministration officials feared that mills
soon would have to close down. Hop
ing the legislation would pass, farm
ers. it is declared, have been refusing
70 sell at the present price Of 1920.
In enacting the food control law
Congress put guaranteed price Of 81
on next seasons crop and this has
been construed as a minimum price.
To draw wheat to market the Presi-
dent fixed price of $2.20 on last sea-
sons yield, and it had this effect un-
til the priceraising bills were intro
duced. Then the flow began. to stop.
Food Administration officials have
declared that if the bills passed the
government would be forced to raise
present prices to the new levels and
that to do so would upset the Food
Administration -four and bread pro-
gram.
The Prices Fixed.
The prices fixed, the President de-
clared, would assure the producer of
reasonable profit. On the basis of
No. Northern spring wheat and its
equivalents the President fixed the
price as follows:
Chicago, 1920; Omaha, $215; Kan
sas City, $2.15; st. Louis, $2.18; Min
neapolis, $2.17; Duluth, $2.17; New
York, $2.2S; Philadelphia, 1927; Bal
timore. 1927; Newport News, 1927;
Charleston, S. c.. 1927; Savannah,
$2.27; Portland, Ore, $2.05; Seattle,
$2.05; San Francisco, $40; Los An
geles. $40; Galveston, $3.50; New
Orleans, $3.50; Salt Lake City, $500;
Great Falls, Mont. $500; Spokane,
Wash, $500; Pocatello, Idaho, $500;
Fort Worth, Tex, 5000; Oklahoma
City, Okla, sos; Wichita, Kan, $2.0S.
The equivalents of No. / Northern
to which the same price applies, are
No. hard winter, No. / red winter,
No. 1 durum and No. I hard white
The wheat must be harvested in the
United States during 1918 and sold
in the market before June l, 1919
The Presidents proclamation states
that the action is to meet an emer-
gency requiring the stimulation Of
wheat planting.
In a statement accompanying his
proclamation the President said:
Under the Food Control Act of
August 10, 1917, it is my duty to an
nounce guaranteed price for wheat
Of the 1918 harvest. l am, therefore,
issuing a proclamation setting the
price at the principal interior primary
markets. It makes no essential altera-
ton in the present guarantee. It 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 reasonable profit, even
II the war should end within the year
and the large stores Of grain in those |
sections of the world that are now
cut OF from transportation 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 ma
ton and Of the Allies by causing the
wheat of last years crop to be with
held from the market It would, more
over, dislocate all the present wage
levels that have been established aft
er much anxious discussion and would,
therefore, create an industrial unrest
which would be harmful to every in
dustry in the country.
II know the spirit of our farmers
and have not the least doubt as to
the loyalty with which they will ac-
cept the present decision. The fall
wheat planting, which furnishes two
thirds of our wheat production, took |
place with no other assurances than |
this and the farmers confidence was
demonstrated by the fact that they
planted an acreage larger than the
record Of any preceding year, larger
by 100000 acres than the second
largest record year and 100000 |
acres more than the average for the
hve years before the Outbreak of the
Eurnnean War