The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1918-03-07

being occupied so much by other mat
ters, that they have neglected to give
this phase of the situation due con-
sideration.
By increasing the price of wheat
so that it would insure an abundance
Of it being produced, they would low
er the cost Of living to an extent that
would be hard to realize, and elimin-
ate untold suffering and hardships.
Mr.. Wilson intimates that there are
large stores of wheat which will be
released at the end of the war. I, for
one would like to know where these
stores of wheat are. Take for ex-
ample, the rebellion: / believe l am
right in stating that farm products
reached their maximum I'm price about
1867, and 1t is the general opinion
among farmers now, that the maxi
mum price for their products will be
reached about one year after this war
Is over.
The present price of wheat is going
to cause tendency among the large
producers, who are able to, to hoard
their wheat until the war Is over. And
as l stated in my other letter, they are
all going to plant anything else where
ever they can.
This does not seem patriotic, know,
but you have human nature to contend
with. Then IL you put down the price
on all farm products there will be an
army of them go to work In other
lines of industry, or start to breeding
cattle to restock Europe with after the
war.
IL there is any one thing that will
prOlong this war, or hinder us from
getting decisive victory soon, it is
the administrators blind and unreas-
enable attitude toward the farmer.
Another matter; I understand from
the press that the food administration
has requested the merchants to close
early, and to go on q cash basis. /
suppose their idea is to reduce con-
sumption; it will probably have the
desired effect, but at the same time 1t
will reduce production amazingly
They should request the merchants to
stay open evenings so that the farm
ers could go in and get their supplies,
(which he is allowed to buy only in
limited quantities), without using the
precious daylight They should re-
quest the merchants and bankers to
extend every bit of credit possible TO
the farmer, who has a payday only
once a year, otherwise he will be COM
PEELED to take up some other occupa-
ton where he has a payday every
Saturday night.
l tell you, Mr.. Borah, the situation
is critical, seeding time is almost here
it requires hard fight and quick ac-
ton, or we will all be eating some
thing else in the place of good cheap
white bread. 1 know that If the price
had been fixed on wheat last fall at
three dollars that it would have saved
millions of bushels for human con-
sumption.
1t is my impression that they figure
| five to the family; at the present
price the flour bill is fifty dollars q
year, providing they have all they
want. Increasing the price one dollar
bushel on wheat would increase the
cost of -four for a family of five TWEEN
ey-five dollars a year.
Don't you suppose that the lack OF
-four, causing the use of high-priced
substitutes, has more than taken uI
this twenty-five dollars? AND the yeal
only half gone?
On the other hand, If by increasing
the price of flour fifty per cent, YOU
would increase the production so thai
everyone would have enough and Il
spare; you would cheaper the cost Of
living to more than offset the entire
flour bill. Do you grasp my mean
ing?
Thanking you for your attention anC
courtesy in reading this rather ramb
ling letter, am
Yours very truly,
VIM POTTER.