Mexico Missouri message., 1918-10-31

disloyalty. Discourage such a pre1u
dice wherever you find Il, Mr.. Citizen.
1t is being promoted by the kaiserite.
The Truth About Price Fixing.
1t is not true that there has been an
attempt "to regulate the prices of
farm products" There has been no
attempt TO regulate the price of any
farm product but wheat. The allied
governments in Europe had set up sin
gle agencies to buy food supplies in
America. Their purchases of Ameri
can wheat were sufficient to control
the price. They could drain America
of its wheat and leave our poorer
classes TO starve. In order that rich
and poor might be treated alike, 1t
was necessary to establish a govern
ment control of price and distribution
And the price of 1920 a bushel for
No. 1 northern wheat based on Chi
cago was agreed upon by an independ-
ent commission, appointed by Presi-
dent Wilson, upon which commission
the farming community was represent
ed by six members out of eleven.
In some instances the food admin
istration has intervened, at the re-
quest of the producers, to obtain a set
tlemcnt i'm local dispute about the
price Of milk. In the case of pork
products the food administration, on
the recommendation Of the producers,
undertook to use the purchases of the
allied governments for the purpose of
maintaining q minimum price for live
hogs in Chicago. Beyond this invited
assistance in the case of milk and
pork, and the regulation of the price
of wheat, the food administration has
not interfered with the price of farm
products, except in so far as the con-
troll of sugar prices has affected the
price of sugar beets.
The Truth About Profiteerine.
Those measures of food control have
been directed more against the middle
man than the producer. While fixing
for the farmer an arbitrated price, fol
his wheat, they have established
system of licensing, by which millers,
bakers, grocers and wholesale and re.
tail dealers have been prevented from
| profiteering on the farmers dollar.
The fuel administration has fixed the
price of coal, because the miner would
not work for reasonable wages as long
| as the mine owner was making an un-
reasonable gain. Profiteering in army
and navy contracts and in shipbuild-
ing has been stopped by the power OBJ
tanned from congress to fix the price
at cost plus a reasonable profit; and
the increase in cost has gone to the
workman, not to his employer. All
profiteering has not yet been ended.
The way to end it has not been found
in any country. But the tax on ex-
cess profits and on swollen incomes
confiscates the Illicit harvest and pours
it into the country's war chest. The
grievances that remain are not class
grievances. They are chiefly the in
evitable common hardships due to a
war that has drawn millions of pro-
ductive workers into the worlds
armies and increased the cost of the
necessaries of life by decreasing the
available supply. In that hardship
the farmers share, as we all share.
kalserites on Both Sides.
Along with this campaign to set the
farmer against the governments war
measures there has been proceeding a
twin campaign to arouse feeling
against him by accusing his western
farmers leagues of disloyalty. That
is equally a work in aid of the enemy.
The western farmers have contributed
their quotas to enlistments and to the
drafts as loyalty as any citizens.
They have subscribed to the Liberty
loans and contributed to the war re-
lief work with unfailing patriotism.
They have had their quarrels with the
men whom they suspected of exploit
ing them, just as labor has had its
quarrels with its employers. But it is
an economic quarrel, and as long as
it is conducted without interfering
with the nations war work the charge
of disloyalty is itself traitorous. In
all these disputes 1t is certain that
enemy agents will be found on both
sides. They at once preach violence
among the 1. w. WIS, and lead mobs
to attack workmen accused of being
I. w. WIS. They play the same game
in every quarrel with which they can
hope to divide the country. Beware
Mr.. Citizen, of any attempt to make
you believe that any class of Ameri
can citizens, as class, are disloyal
1t is q German lie.