Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-03
President Wilson Has
 Fixed Wheat Price
Minimum Price at Primary
 Markets For the 1919 Crop Is to Be Continued at $2.2O.

Washington. Sept 2.-This years i government wheat price was con l tinued in effect for the 1919 crop by President Wilson today in a procla- nation fixing $2.20 as the minimum price at primary markets. Winter wheat will be sold at this price, but the president accompanied his proc lamation with a statement giving mo- tice that before the harvest of next spring he will appoint a commission to report On increased cost of farm labor and supplies to guide him in determining whether there shall be an advance in price for the spring crop.
 Such an advance, if given, the pres 1 ident said, will apply only to produ- l cers who by that time have marketed their 1918 production.
 The possibility of peace before the middle of 1920 was touched upon in i the presidents statement, in connec- /, ton with the risk that by guarantee ing wheat prices the government might lose as much as half billion dollars if Europe should find its sup plies available from the southern hemisphere.
 1 The presidents memorandum says:
 Tn issuing today the government guarantee of the same price for the 1 l9l9 wheat crop that was guaranteed for the 1918 crop. I wish tc be under stood that in the spring of 1919 I will appoint disinterested commission who will secure for me the facts by 1 that time disclosed as to the increased cost of farm labor and supplies, using 1 the three year pre-War average prices of wheat. of labor and of supply costs as a basis, and that from this infor- nation I shall determine whether there should be an increase in price above the present level and that if SO, what advance, in order to maintain for the farmer a good return. Should it then appear that an increase is de-
 served over the present guarantee
 however, it will be applied only to
 those who have by next harvest al ready marketed their 1918 wheat
 Tt is the desire and intention of all departments of the administra ton
 to give the wheat growers a fair and stimulating return in order that the
 present acreage in wheat may be
 maintained.
 T find a great conflict of opinion
 among various sections of the coun-
 try as to the price that should be named as minimum guarantee It must be obvious to all. however, that , the factors which will make in-
 C4 CdSSu UT OSCF6dSSQ cost OI pIOQuc- tion of next years harvest cannot be determined until the near approach to
 the harvest.
 Tn giving a guaranteed price for
 wheat one year in advance (the only I industry guaranteed by the govern rnent). there is Involved a eonsis sera ] tlsle nstinAal risk If there should be peace or increased shipping available . before the middle of 1920, Europe vii
 naturally supply itself from the large 7 stores of much cheaper wheat now ir
 the southern hemisphere; and, there fore, the government is undertaking
 a risk which might in such an event
 result in a national loss of as mucI
 as $50O.O 900 through an unstable
 surplus; or. in any event, in main taining a nigh level of price to oul 3 own people for a long period subse y quent to freedom in the worlds mar
 ket.
 . Despite this. the desirability of as 1 suring supply to the world of prim . treadstuffs by insuring the farmer = against the fuctuations in prices tha
 would result from the uncertainties O
 the present situation and from tn
 speculation those uncertainties entail |, seems to me to make the continuation | of the guarantee for another year de , sirable. On the other hand, it is clea 2 that before increasing this liability b
 large sums with the risks set fort
 above and before increasing the our - den of the consumer, the matte
 should be subjected to searching in
 quiry at the appropriate time-th time when the pertinent facts will b 5 known"
 q feel confident that with this pre-
 liminary. fixed guarantee and with tn . assurance that justice will in an ' event be done to the growers, he wi
 continue the fine patriotic effort b h which he has served the countr r hitherto; that the government wi . have acted prudently and that tn
 consumer will be satisfied that his in h terests are not unduly sacrificed, bu I just and exhaustive consideratio '- given to every element of the matte ii at the proper time.
 The joint agricultural advisor 90 committee of the food administratio . and the department of agricultur l, composed of farmers throughout th il country, presided over by former Gov Id ernor H. C. Stuart of Virginia. re r gently decided to recommend the fi1 " ing of the minimum price for the 191 s crop at $2.46. one cent above the priC
 contained in the agricultural apprc
 priation bill which caused it's veto"