The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1918-10-18

~ alongside the farmers of Montana
and gives unquestioned reasons why
wheat growers should be given equal
opportunity along with the farmers
of the south in growing of cotton an
of the south in the growing of cotton
and corn. He protests against the un-
fair and Ubiquitous system Of the
Democratic party in penalizing the
Montana farmers, and favoring the
farmers of the south, and his position
on this great question is not given in
vague ~generalities, but in concrete,
substantial reasons why. No farmer
in Montana can longer afford to be
deceived by the southern Democrats
who are in control of this government.
Under the plea of war and its nec-
essities, northern farmers have long
enough borne the unfair burdens which
they have placed upon the wheat grow
err.
Oscar M. Lanstrum believes that
charity begins at home, and only asks
that Montana farmers be given equal
opportunity with those in all sections
of the union. A vote for him for
senator is a vote for the best interests
of those engaged in farming, that
great part of our citizens who are so
splendidly and periodically doing
their full share in the greatest prob
lem ever confronting this nation-the
winning of the war. Read carefully
his statement and his pledge to the
farmers which follows.
The price of wheat has been fix
ed. 1t is only fair that the price of
rice, corn, cotton and all substitutes
should have been fixed by the same
method, regardless of the opposition
of the neutrality-suspicious. sections
of the country.
The chief cause of complaint of the
farmer-and it is a just one-is that
substitutes as we'll as other commod-
tiles required in the production of
wheat, he is compelled to purchase
at a price disproportionate to the pric-
es at which he is permitted to sell his
product.
The argument that wheat is a war
commodity, and necessary to the sue
cessful prosecution Of the war, is
true; but no more so than that cot
ton is a wal commodity. Cotton is q
war commodity to a larger degree
cotton crop is used for war purposes
than is wheat. Fifty per cent of thu
as against twenty per cent of the
wheat crop.
If 1920 per bushel was an equitabl.
price for wheat in 1917, it is not {
fair price in 1918. In 1917 a fourteen
inch gang pillow sold for $85, and i,
!, 1918 the price is around $11O. II
1917 an ordinary farm wagon sold TO,
$94, a against $3.50 in 1918. A sew
en-foot binder retailed for approx
mately $185, as against $500 in 1918
, Binding Irvine has increased in pric,
from twenty cents to twenty-six cent
in the last year. Grain sacks, sellin,
for three cents, a few years ago, nov
cost thirty.
Denim overalls at wholesale in 191,
sold for 50 per dozen. Today the,
bring about $50 per dozen. In add
ton to these and in the increase il
price of all other articles of necessi
- ty to the farmer producing wheat i
the increased cost of labor. Ordinar
farm labor at the present time is diff
:, cult to secure for $65 per month, in
GLIDING board and in harvest tim
the prices paid by the farmers az
3 proximate those paid in the shipyard
% and munitions plants.
: a movement by the Representative
q of the wheat growing centers to hav
the price fixed at $3.50 per bush'
was resisted in the United States cor
e gress because it is claimed that whea
le at $3.50 per bushel will increase tn
'e cost of flour per barrel to the cor
sumner in the sum of 50 per barrel.
is stated on good authority, and b
e those in a position to know, that tn
increased cost of flour per barre
which would be occasioned by the il
creased cost of wheat to $3.50 pc
e barrel would be 90 cents per barre
. instead of 81.