The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-02-25

Wilson for the coming seasons wheat
yield. The price Is for No. I Northern
spring wheat at Chicago, with scale
of differentials for other markets.
The difYerentials differ to slight ex-
tent from those now operative and
range from minimum OF 81 to max
imum Of 1928.
In fixing a price now for the new
crop. which will not be harvested until
June, the president was believed TO
first was TO halt legislation pending in
Congress to fix prices at from s2.25 to
SO and the other was to stimulate
spring planting.
The introduction OF the price-raising
bills had begun TO check the iow of
wheat to market and food administra-
ton officials feared that mills soon
would have to close down. Hoping
the legislation would pass, farmers, 1t
is declared, have been refusing to sell
at the present price Of $500.
Crop Guaranteed at So
In enacting the food control law
Congress put a guaranteed price OF
50 on next seasons crop, and this has
been construed as minimum price
TO draw wheat to market the presi-
dent fixed a price OF $500 on last sea-
sons yield and It had this effect until
the price raising bills were introduced.
Then the dow began to stop.
Food administration officials have
declared that II the bills passed the
government would be forced to raise
present prices to the new levels and
that TO do so, would upset the food
administration -four ana bread pro-
gram.
On the basis Of No. I, northern
spring wheat. and its equivalents. the
president fixed the prices as follows:
Chicago. $500; Omaha, $2.15; Kan
sas City, sails: ST. Louis, $2.1S; Min
neapolis. S217: Duluth. SILT; New
York. ,s228: Philadelphia, $2.27; Bal
timore. $2.27; Newport News. s2.27;
Charleston. S. c.. S2.27; Savannah,
1927; Portland, Ore, s2.o5; Seattle.
sos. San Francisco, S2.10; Los Ange-
les, s210; Galveston. $3.50; New Or
leans, SEQ; Salt Lake City, So; Great
Falls, Mont. 81; Spokane, Wash, So;
Pocatello, Ida, So, Fort Worth, Tex.
$500; Oklahoma City, Okla, sos;
Wichita. Kans-. SOS.
The equivalents OF No. / Northern,
to which the same price applies, are
No. l hard winter, No. l red winter.
No. I durum and No. l hard white.
The wheat must be harvested in the
United States during 1918 and sold in
the market before June l, 1919. The
presidents proclamation states that
the action is to meet an emergency
recurring the stimulation OF wheat
planting.
Duty to Fix Price.
In a statement accompanying his
proclamation the President said: I'm
der the food control act OF Aug. 10,
1917, it is my duty to announce a
guaranteed price for wheat Of the
1918 harvest I am, therefore, issuing
a proclamation setting the price at the
principal primary markets. 1t makes
no essential alteration IN the present
guarantee. 1t is a continuation OF the
present prices of wheat, with some adj
justments arising from the designation
OF additional terminal marketing
points.
This guaranteed price assures the
farmer Of a reasonable profit even if
the war should end within the year
and the large stores of grain in those
sections Of the world that are now cut
off from transportation should again
come into competition with his pro-
ducts. TO increase the price of wheat
above the present figure, or to agl-
tate any increase in price, would have
the effect Of very seriously hamper
ing the large operations OF the nation
and of the allies by causing the wheat
of last years crop to be withheld
from the market. 1t would moreover
dislocate all the present wage levels
that have been established after much
anxious discussion and would there
fore create an industrial unrest which
would be harmful to every industry in
the country.
IL know the spirit of our farmers
and have not the least doubt as TO the
loyalty with which they will accpet
loyalty with which they will accept
planting which furnishes two-thirds OF
our wheat production took place with
no other assurance than this and the
farmers confidence was demonstrated
by the fact that they planted an acre
age larger than the record OF any pre-
ceeding year. larger by 100000 acres
than the second largest record year
and 100000 acres more than the av-
GRACE for the final years before the
outbreak of the European war.
Why Wheat is Standard.
at seems not to be generally under
stood why wheat is picked out for
price determination, and only wheat,
among the cereals. The answer is
that while normal distribution Of all
out farm products has been subject
TO great disturbances during the last
three years because Of war conditions
only two commodities, namely, wheat
and sugar, have been so seriously af-
fected as to require government IL
tervention.
THE disturbances which affect
these products land others in less de-
gree) arise from the fact that all Of
the overseas shipping in the world is
now under government control and
that the government is obliged to as
sign tonnage to each commodity that
enters into commercial overseas traf.
fic. 1t has, consequently, been neces-
sary to establish single agencies for
the purchase CT the food supplies
which must go abroad. The purchase
OF wheat in the United States for fore
ign use Is of so great volume in com
nariSop with the available domestic