The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-02-24
Farmers Of Country Praised
by Executive in Lengthy
Proclamation.


Wilson today raised the government
guaranteed price for the 1918 wheat
crop as high as s22S bushel In one
primary market. and in varying sums
in all other primary markets except
four. The Chicago price was put at
S22O
Acting under authority OF the food
law, the president thus met the ngita =
ton in congress for higher prices and
took steps to stimulate production and
prevent holding back of the crop while
the agitation was going on.
The wheat must be harvested in the
United states during 1918, and sold in
the market before June l. 1919. Tho
presidents proclamation states that
the action Is to meet an emergency re =
quirng the stimulation of wheat plant
ing
Objects in View.
In fixing price now for tho new
crop which will not he harvested until
June, the president was believed to
have had two objects in view The
first was to halt legislation pending in
congress to fix prices ut 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 flow of
wheat to market and food administra-
tion officials feared that mills soon
would have to close down. Hoping the
legislation would pass. farmers, il is
declared, have been refusing to sell at
the present price of s2.20.
In statement accompanying his
proclamation the president said
Few Adjustments.
Under the food control act of All
gust 10, 1917. II Is my duty to an
nonnce a guaranteed price for wheat
of the 1915 harvest. ! am. therefore
issuing a proclamation setting the
price at the principal interior primary
markets. 1t makes no essential al
teration in the present guarantee, II
is a continuation of the present prices
OF wheat. with some adjustments ris
ing from the designation of additional
terminal marketing points.
This guaranteed price assures the
farmer of reasonable profit even II
the war should end within the year and
the large stores of grain In those sec
tions OF the world that are now cut off
from transportation should again come
into competition with his products. To
increase the price OF wheat above the
present figure. or to agitate any in
crease of price. would have the effect
of very seriously hampering the large
operations Of the nation and OF ths
allies by causing the wheat Of last
years crop to be withheld from the
market. 1t would, moreover, dislocats
all the present wage levels that have
been established after much anxious
discussion. and would, therefore, create
an Industrial unrest which would be
harmful to every industry in the conn
try.
Praises Loyalty.
II know the spirit Of our farmers
and have not the least doubt as to the
| loyalty with which they will accept thf
present decision. The fall wheat
planting, which furnishes two thirds
! of our wheat production. took place
with no other assurance than this. and
the farmers confidence was demon.
/
an acreage larger than the record oi
| any preceding year, larger by two mil
! lion acres than the second largest rec
ord year. and seven million acres more
| than the average for the five years
| before the outbreak OF the European
war.
| 1T seems not to be generally under
stood why wheat is picked out for price
| determination. only wheat, among thu
cereals. The answer liz that, whil'
normal distribution of all our farm
products has been subject to great dis
turbances during the last three year.
| because of war conditions. only tw'
commodities namley, wheat and sugar
have been 80 seriously affected as Il
require governmental intervention.
Explains Reasons.
THE disturbance which affect thes
products land others in less degree
arise from the fact that all Of the over
seas shipping in the world Is now un
der government control, and that tn
government Is Obliged to assign ton
mage TO each commodity that enter
into commercial overseas traffic. ]
has. consequently, been necessary I
establish single agencies for the pur
chase of the food supplies which mus
go abroad. The purchase of whea
in the United States for foreign use
of so great volume in comparison wit
the available domestic supply that tn
price OF wheat has been materiall
. disturbed. and IL became a necessity
order to protect both the producer an
the consumer, to prevent speculation.
1T was necessary, therefore, for III
government to exercise a measure {
/ supervision as far as possible to cor
troll purchases OF wheat and the prot
: esses OF its expectation. This supel
vision necessarily amounted TO pri'
: fixing. and I, therefore, thought 1t ia
4 n n