The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1918-04-04
FOR HIGHER PRICED WHEAT
VIM. Potter, Local Farmer, is Keeping
Matter Before Representatives.


1 have your kind favor of the 18th,
for which / thank you. l notice that |
Senator Gore introduced a proposal |
to increase the price Of wheat to two
fifty a bushel, on the account Of this |
thought 1 would intrude ON your
time with another letter, or rather /
with a few thoughts just as they
come to me.
BY increasing the price of wheat
one dollar a bushel with normal con-
sumption you would increase the price |
Of flour to the consumer one and
thirtysix one-hundredths of cent per
capita per day.
All cereals are closely related, and
it is impossible to fix the price on
one without recognizing their affinity
to one another For instance oats
and barley in the Northwest yield so
nearly alike in pounds per acre that
any great discrepancy in price per
pound between them is quickly regu-
lated by increased or decreased pro-
duction. This also applies just as
surely to wheat, only that we can pro-
duce more pounds per acre of oats
and barley then we can of wheat.
In the Northwest for instance, wheat
is generally worth about the same
price per bushel as oats and barley
are per hundred pounds, and any great
variation is quickly regulated by pro-
ductiOn. This also applies to corn
although l cannot give you the ratio.
1t also goes right down the line even
to hay, which follows the price of
cereals very closely at a certain ratio
For illustration hay is about $50 a
ton here now, and on account of the
fixed price we can only get about $50
ton for wheat in consequence
know some farmers who are wintering
their cattle on wheat and straw, 1t is
much cheaper to feed than hay.
Patriotism does not enter into II,
1t is matter of their being able to
pay their grocery bills.
1 can understand that they might
fix the price on coal providing they
| fixed 1t high enough so 1t would be
profitable to mine it, and make it
work, because coal mine does not
produce anything except coal But it
Is uncomfortable that any man In his
right mind would say that we could
nix a low price on wheat and receive
an abundance Of that commodity.
A wheat field Is not like a coal mine.
as a rule where wheat will grow in
Vulnerable other products will grow.
and these other products will be
grown just as surely as the sun rises
and sets, providing there is more
money In it.
Wheat is the cheapest human food
ON earth even If the price would 90
to five or six dollars bushel; and II
Is crime against the poorer class to
nix the price so low that 1t will not he
produced In abundance.
The United States had a hummer
crop of oats and corn last year, more
than they can reasonably expect tbis
year. Oats are now worth In Chica- |
go right around three cents per pound. |
According to my deductions the price /
OF wheat should be put at three dollars
a bushel, this would only be normal
compared with other cereals, and If we |
want any great increase we should mt |
1t still higher.
The foregoing preamble amounts to
tnis-that by increasing the price of
wheat to certain point would Increase |
production wonderfully, and by in
creasing production until it over took
consumption We would reduce the cost
OF living, no matter what price wa
had to put on wheat From the nres- |
ent outlook two dollars and n half
Is not enough to have the desired
erect On diversified farm most
any other product beats 1t In cash /
returns.
Trusting that have made NV mean.
ing clear, and again thanking Won for
your letter, l am