American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-03-08

oLAN@g 4 wi "a IT, oRPEalEL q 4On6
open letter to Idaho's federal food adj
ministrator from J.. T. Fisher Of Rock
land, Ida, which was reproduced in
the Press of the 10Th. This letter
aroused great discussion in the news
papers Of Idaho and drew editorial
comment from the Portland Oregonian
and other newspapers outside Of the
state. Mr.. Bicknell has. through the
Statesman Of the 7th. made public his
reply TO Mr.. Fisher. Il follows in full.
Ed
Mr.. J. T.. Fisher, R~ockland, Ida.
Dear Sir: Your letter of February
16, which was received at my office
during my absence in the east and
which was given publicity in the press.
has been called 10 my attention.
My office has ruled that farmers
living a considerable distance from
their source Of supplies are permitted
sufficient flour TO cover their reason
able requirements for a period of so
days and T. B. Wilcox, milling divis-
ion chairman at Portland. Ore, has
advised millers they are permitted to
grind wheat for farmers in exchange,
so long as they do not furnish them
a larger quantity of flour than the
reasonable requirements of their ia
miles until the next harvest and they
are not required TO sell substitutes to
them.
Since you innocently laid in your
supply of flour in accordance with
your practice in former years, in or
der that you may conserve your time
and labor, you will be permitted to
keep what you have. 1 recognize a
distinct difference in your case and
the cases of deliberate boarding in
larger quantities than were ever pur-
chased before. Such cases will be Sc
verely dealt with and examples made
Of the offenders. if possible.
Considers Prices Extreme.
l consider the prices you quote both
from the selling and buying stand
point are extremes for so far as the
price OF cOrn is concerned, I obtained
several cars for Idaho growers that
were laid down here at little more
than So per cwt in car lots.
Your chief criticism concerning the
price of corn must be directed against
an act of Providence because it was
the unusual storms in the east and
middle west that prevented the ready
marketing of the biggest corn crop in
our history and this and the resultant
: transportation tie-up prevented the
large corn supply from effecting the
price downward. which would econo-
} mioally have been the result other
5 wise.
You name a price for corn meal OF
/ SO per cwt. but this is most extreme
: because corn meal is now selling in
Boise at Sc per cwt. bulk and if bought
: in large quantities will cost less.
Corn Good for Stock.
? Corn in my opinion is 20 per cent
more efficient for stock feeding than
} wheat and corn meal is one OF the
! most nutritious foods known. There
is as much nutriment in a pound OF
corn meal as in a pound of any other
; given food and corn meal. therefor.
never was and should not be looked
upon as a cheap food.
You say. under the present system.
your wheat is only worth 1925 per
cwt. If that is so, it must be a poor
grade that perhaps could not profit
ably be fed to stock. Good grade
wheat is now selling at Sc and there
is a market for it at that price.
The United States food a~dministra-
ton is endeavoring TO control the
price of corn meal. but after the ex-
pense OF kiln drying it and getting
rid of the excessive moisture in the
present crop it makes the corn cost
4c at the mill and in getting it from
the mill to the retailer with the added
expense of handling and cost of sacks.
the price gets up to about &C without
any indication of ~profteering.
Stop for so Days.
My personal opinion is that if the
public at large would stop using flour
and the substitutes for a period Of
from 80 to 60 days and use instead po-
tatoes. they would drive down the
price of both flour and substitutes and
at the same time furnish a market
for our big crop of potatoes. Refusal
to use both flour and the substitutes
would be a much reader remedy
against the high prices thereof thar
anything the food administration
could devise.
Concerning the price of seed wheat,
all farmers are injudieious who do not
save enough seed wheat out of their
crop unless they have a f~ailure) to
obviate the necessity Of buying it. and
those who handle seed and run the
risk of s~hrinkage and waste and other
uncertainties are entitled to a fair pro-
lit for their undertaking. i
Criticism Well Taken.
Your criticism that since the price
4 Of wheat has been fixed that price
should be made at primary %shipping
4 points OF the farmers point OF deliv-
cry is perhaps well taken.