Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-26
PRESIDENT WILL VETO
BILL FOR $3.50 WHEAT
Defeat Measure Before II
Reaches Him.
OFFICIAL VIEW Ar WASHINGTON
Mr.. Wilson Well Posted About Situ-
alton - Farmers Have Generally
Finished Spring Planting by Now.
Profit Possible on Present Price.
Especial to Tho rimes-pispateh.l


Profit Possible on Present Price.
Especial 10 Tho -Dispatch.l
WASIllNGToN. March eff ih'
House concurs in the senate amend
mon, which fixes the price o: The l'i>
wheat crop AZ $50 y bushcl and !; The
agricultural appropriation bill is sem
20 the President l.. tina, form. he WI
promptly % ii. sending the mcdSuF,
back 10 Congress with q message whlct
will open the eyes oil ;hc count. -
10 the vital facts OF the wheat martci
IS well as the profits which arc pos
.sble under the present SO price piasl
But before a veto Is rcSorted %. tn'
l.-esiden; and his iviscrs will use their
utmost influence 10 Kill the Schai.
amendment il conference, or falling
there to kill il by Il vote OF tho House
1t is the hope OF the whole adn!niS-
tration that III" veto viii not nave to
be applied. and that the House anu
senate will spare the President ths
necessity Of taking Such drastic action
The above is the accepted view OF the
whole administration circle as TO the
course which events Will take. unless
III, senate Is forced TO rcccde from rs
amendment. And this view is based
upon the Importance which the Prcsi-
dent, the Department Of Agricultur.
and the food administration are known
10 attach 10 the dcwo-alizing measure
which tho Senate. by sweeping ma
iorjty. forced into Line agricultural
supply bill.
The Presidents friends know that he
Is definitely informed concerning the
whole wheat situation. They know.
moreover. that the Senate took its ac-
tion without consultation With any al i
l7iniStraticn agency. The Departs; ent
OF Agriculture. which has been in init
mate touch with the whea; situation,
was no; asked either for advice OF
information. The food administra zion
was ignored. and the President was
fact. the Senate proceeded with its de-
cis,ve vote upon a vial governmental
policy wholly upon the testimony OF
Senators representing whcat-ErowinS
states.
CLAIM LOWER PRICE WILL
DECREASE CROP
These Senators made tho flat dccla-
ration tina: the 1915 wheat crop would
be 4 wrc;chcd failur- unless tho price
was increa scd 10 a. lsas, $".jG. Ey
failure they meant that the acreage
would not be planted, and that an in
evi;able shortage would be the result
shortage WHICH NtLlb
handicap the whole allied group OF
nations in ;le prosecution Of the war.
The answer which The adminis;ra-
,ion makes 10 those states is this:
The winter wheat acreage is, OF course,
already planted This was done last
fall otherwise il would not bc winter
wheat, II is, therefore. Impossible for
The price measure 70 affcC; that acre
ace directly or Indirectly. AS for tho
spring wheat planting, most Of this is
even now over with. All tho planting
South OF the pakotas. II is said. is pass :
ed, and that N the moro northern eli
mate is undo" way. The ground is
broken for II and practically every
wheat farmer in that section Knows
exactly how much hc Will SOW. p-!cc
or no price. For thcs, reasons. the adj
ministra;ion officials ave convinced be
yond question that the size 81 Tho 1918
wheat crop VIII not b" mcaSWra5ly az
.cct.l l.! any new pI.rc iNiuG
1t was also stated during the senate
debate that the farmer could not make
decent profit from his whca, on a
basis OF $50 Il hushcl; tina; ne must
lave At least 800 in ovd.v TO assure
himself Of =: fair margin o; return. and
That from Id 10 end o: the country a
c!amor had come for a. increase which
would encourage the wheat growers
I" 90 thc: part toward provisioning
the country and the country's allies
DEPARTMENT or tGRlGUITURE
FINDS $50 WHEAT PROFITABHLE
The reply which is made 10 this j.
that all mycstigations which the Dc
Dartmcnt o. Agriculture has made are
10 the effect tia, s29o wheat is profit.
able; that II viii yield not only a fair
hu, d generous margin 10 the farmer
who has even reasonable luck with
lis crop, and lhat tho 80 cents add.-
tional which tho senate proposes TO
give is a straight subsidy which pa
t-io;!c farmers have not asked for, and
do not expect. Ard "a evidence o! this
fact 1t IS declared that tn. admins
t:aiion has not received a single an
peal from a farmers organization for
an advance. The Only thing approach
ing such an appeal was the action Of
an agricultural association in Kansas
CITY which asked Tor 4 higher price Z
labor wages We're not held down
The serious part O. th: mater 50
FAR as III" immediate future is con
c"rneG Is tho fact tina; many wheat
growers and storage men who have
stocks on hand have ncld baci; heir