The Washington herald., 1918-07-09
WHEATLESS And
MEATLESS DAYS
WILL END AUG. |.
Reasons for AboEshing
Them Same as for Veto
Of $40 Bill.
WHEAT CROP IS BUMPER
900, 100000 Bushels in
Sight, and Fall Drive
of Cattle.
WHEAT CROP IS BUMPER

Relief for the United States from
wheatless and meatless days IL near.
/ Both were adopted as temporary ex-
spedients- with q bumper crop OF
wheat already being reaped. relax
alton Of the voluntary wheatless
program of the Food Administrator
can be expected within the next two
weeks.
The country will probably be
asked to accept victory bread as its
staple bread base. or q mixture of
so per cent wheat Hour and 20 per
cent substitutes. Our allies In
Europe will continue using q mixeu
bread, and it Is the plan to keep the
entire world on q similar dietetic
basis. so far as may be possible. But
the wheatless days viii 60.
Beefless and meatless days Will
also go about Aug. I.
= These are the big features OF the
new conservation program. but the
same conditions which cause the
abandonment of the wheatless days
have led the President to decide to
veto the bin fixing the price Of
wheat at s2-4o bushel at primary
markets.
Veto Ready.
The veto has already been prepared,
after consultation between Food Ad-
ministrator Hoover, Secretary Of
Agriculture Houston and the Presi-
deph The bin itself only reached the
Whfta House yesterday ana viii be
i allowed to take its normal course
through the Agricultural Department.
KThs veto may reach Congress this
week. II was ready to go Saturday.
and was reported on the way to the
Capitol. but later It was discovered
that the bin had not gone through the
engrossing room, SO 1t was pulled
back
The beef needed for the armies at
the front n from cattle, graded as
heavy export cattle. This Is the same
class Of beef as II sold In hotels and
hfgh-class restaurants. For this rea-
son the hotels and restaurants were
put on a conservation basis. August !
heavy cattle begin coming into the
market. and the supply promised at
that time will be adequate to the
needs Of the Allied armies and the
country. 20 the restrictions will be
removed.
The wheat crop this year is esti-
mated at 0.0o0. 900 bushels. 1t Is ade-
auate to the needs Of this country.
I and. in addition. will carry the
4 through the year.
Increased Production.
Guarantee Of a price by the gov
ernunent was for the purpose of stimu-
lating wheat production this year.
Both the Food Administrator and the
Secretary Of Agriculture have pointed
out to the President that this has
been accomplished, and that any
higher price fixed now, with the crop
already made. could not possibly in
crease production.
The only excuse for price-fxing in
the first place was to guarantee to
the farmer a sufficient return to en-
courage him to plant a larger acre
age. The original guarantee was at
Sc and brought an increase OF So
per cent in the acreage. Reports
from the entire country show that
| the farmers were satisfied with that
price. except from a small belt in
Western Oklahoma and adjacent
states where the drought Is such that
Embarrassing Il a speculation and
he farmers make hardly one crop
three. In fact, the last four crops
avs. been failures.
over q perid OF years, the wheat
ayerage eight bushels to the acre.
10 fx q price on the entire crop to
let the farmers Of this territory out,
Il would be necessary to set the fgura
1 at tS instead OF the g of the Food
Administrator, or the $40 set by
Congress. At best the output of this
territory would not exceed e0,0Oo, 900,
bushels. which II only a drop in the
bucket In the country's needs.
wouId Disturb Trade.
The Presidents attention was called
2 to the fact that. II the Lever bin
became law, the entire movement
Of trade and distribution would be
upset II called for the payment of
$40 for wheat everywhere IN the
country. Wheat ordinarily sells at
different prices. depending on the dis
tance for primary markets and the
freight rates.
Tho present Food Administration
prices nx q as the base at Salt Lake
from, which the freight charges are
added in both directions, until the
price ar Chicago Is as and at New
York sz.&5z. II q fiat price at all
markets were fixed as In the Lever
BIN, there would be no motive power
behind the wheat to move II across
the country. and IL would not reach
exporting markets.
with the cost Of living lifted 30
radically. there would be = necessity
sf wage readjustments In all indux-
tries. for bread Is the base measure
u living, and other foods nuctuate
n price with 1t.
As the Canadian price Is also basal
n the American price. the Csnstssn
:rops also would have to be taes1
! are Of in similar fashion. ~
. The country has been near a scrI-
sus situation. The crop this year Is
ifrre weeks early. II II mad been n
douth late. a. II sometimes is. tie
Jnitsd States would have faced q
J Thsst fsnins.