Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1918-04-26
WILL REQUIsITION WHEAT.

Under an order issued by Charles
Hebberd, food administrator for
Washington, all wheat held on farms
in this state which is not necessary
Tor home use, will be requisitioned
after May Is. The administrator is
Informed there is considerable grain
he'd in the state, some of it under the
impression that higher price may
be obtained, and some held by persons
from unpatriotic motives.
The order which has been sent to
all county food administrators in this
state, follows:
The latter part of March a call
was issued to the farmers of Washing
ton in pursuance of the request Of
Herbert Hoover, United States food
administrator, that they bring to
market by May > all wheat in their
possession except their necessary re-
serves for seed.
Most of the surplus wheat on the
farms has already gone to market.
There are, however, considerable
quantities in some localities still re-
tanned on the farms. In some cases
holders of this wheat have been in
fluenced by pro-German motives and
in some instances by the erroneous
expectation of receiving higher
price The higher price established
for 1918 wheat in the Pacific North
west district, or any price that might
be established hereafter by congress
sional act, is fo + 1913 crop only.
There is no way, therefore, that any
grower can benefit by holding his
grain after May Is, and in such
boarding it can only be presumed that
the hoarder is influenced by improper
motives.
The food administration, there
fore, calls upon all grain producers,
as a patriotic service, that they bring
to market by May ) all surplus
wheat If the local miller is unable
to buy all of the wheat that is of
fered, it should be marketed in the
other customary trade channels
through which it will reach the food
administration grain corporation.
THE county food administrators in
the several counties are asked to Sc
cure at once all possible data as to
surplus stocks of grain rem aiming on
the farms in their respective coun-
ties and to report to the federal food
administrator of the state on May D
each case where surplus grain is still
held on farms, specifying name and
address of owner and approximate
quantities held.
After May 10 surplus stocks
boarded from unpatriotic motives will
be requisitioned under executive or
der, as provided in section 10 of the
federal food act. Mr.. Hoover as
0ljeu states lOOu ADMINISTRATORS, lldS
given the federal food administrator
of the state special power of attorney
to requisition and take possession of
such wheat
In view of the need for wheat for
the use of the army and navy and
for other public uses connected with
tie common defense, no one has a
moral or legal right to hoard wheat,
and power to requisition all wheat
fer that purpose is expressly con-
ferred by the food act 1t is hoped
that recourse to requisitioning Will
be necessary in but few cases. How
ever, if there are in the state any
slackers who, from pro-German or
other unpatriotic purposes, refuse to
comply with the present request to
bring all surplus wheat to market by
May 5, prompt action to requisition
such surplus will be taken by the
federal food adm instration of the
state.