The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-03-14
PRICES SHOULD
BE REDUCEi,r;;;
'eThe American Farmer is A Patriot,
Not Profiteer," Asserts President
Townley.He Wants All Prices
Equalized.
FARMER WOULD NOT BENEFIT.
Profiteers Want Higher Price for
Wheat Which in Turn Would
Cause General Boost in Price of
All Commodities.

The American farmer is not de-
manding an increased price for wheat
that would make the already high cost
of living almost unbearable for the
consuming public, but will be content
if the prices of other commodities are
scaled down in proportion, according
to an announcement issued Tuesday
by A. G. Townley, president Of the Ma
tional Nonpartisan league.
Mr.. Townley denied that the Nom
partisan league intends to support
bills recently introduced in Congress
providing for increasing the wheat
from 1920 to $2.75 or $500 bushel,
but said that instead the farmers or
ganization will support the admins
tration's price fixing measure.
Mr.. Townley's interview was issued
Tuesday and given out to the Asso-
ciated Press and United press We'd
nesday afternoon, nearly Is hours in
advance Of the statment issued from
Washington that President Wilson al
so opposes a higher price for wheat.
American Farmer Not Profiteer.
3'The American farmer is a patriot,
not profteer," Mr.. Townley said.
He does not want to gouge the Amer
ican consumer who already has all he
can do to make both ends meet and
maintain a decent standard of living.
The farmer doesn't want the price of
wheat boosted if it can be avoided.
ALI he wants and all the resolutions
of our st. Paul convention in Septem-
ber demanded-is to have the prices
of what he buys scaled down in pro-
portion to the prices of what he has
to sell. President Wilson has gone
on record as indorsing the justice of
these demands. This will reduce the
cost of living all around ond give the
hard pressed consumer some real re-
lief.
/. "In my opinion" Mr.. Townley con-
tinued, "the bills proposing higher
prices for wheat will please the pro-
fteers. These gentry think they can
boost prices all around if they sue
ceed in advancing the cost Of pri-
mary commodities and make the far
mer appear to be in their own class.
General prices should be reduced
not increased but this cannot be ac-
complished if wheat costs more.
Farmer Would Not Benefit.
'tThe farmer would not benefit by
So wheat if mill feeds, farm machin-
cry and other necessities continued to
advance. If prices of other commodi-
ties advanced the farmer might even
be worse off with So wheat than he
is now with wheat at $2.20 a bushel.
The average consumer certainly would
suffer, for wages always advance
more slowly than prices. Widespread
discomfort and labor troubles probab-
" would result from increased prices.
This should be avoided for the sake
of war efficiency.
t'The farmer, however, needs some
relief. The price Of his principal
product was reduced more than 25
per cent, but the price Of wheat he
buys, farm machinery, mill feed, har-
ness, groceries, clothing and shoes
has doubled and in some cases trebled.
Many farmers are hit hard. Although
$2.20 seems big price for wheat,
prices are only relative and the farm
er actually loses money when he is
compelled TO pay $4,000 ton for
bran and farm machinery has doubled
in price. Thousands of farmers are
in such financial shape that they cam
not put in large crops this year un-
less they get government aid or pric-
es Of what they buy are reduced.
Farm production must be increas-
ed. Larger crops are needed to win
the war. Increased farm production
will result if Congress enacts the law
demanded by the administration that
will make it possible to reduce dras-.
tically all prices to correspond to the
reduction in the price ~sf wheat. But,
il Congress, with the backing Of the
farmers, does not give the admins
tration power to compel great mon
opolistic middlemen and other pro-
fiteers to reduce prices, then in self
defense the farmer must get more for
his wheat or farm production will
fall of.
4I hope and all patriotic farmers
hope that the profteers will be conn
PEELED to reduce general prices SO that
higher price for wheat will not be
necessary. Higher prices would be 9
public calamity. The farmer would
not benefit. The increased price he
received for his wheat would merely
BE passed on il paying more for what
he purchases. Both farmer and the
consuming public would suffer No
one would benefit but : few selfish
prohteers.
saThe real remedy for the farmer,
o well 8 the general public, y not
. increase the price q wheat but q
reduce other prices.