davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

at New York City was 1928 per BUSH
ell. Here is how he went about it:
The freight rate from Sikeston to
New York being 1898 cents per BUSH
ell, he deducted that from 1928 per
bushel and found the price at Sikeston
to be $21102. From this he deducted
1 per cent per bushel for the commits
sion firms charges, which put the net
price f. o. b. Sikeston at $4,000.
He next compared this price with
what he could get if he sold at St.
Louis, his nearest primary market At
st. Louis the basic price is $2.18 per
bushel, and the freight rate from
Sikeston to st. Louis 6 cents per BUSH
ell. This would make the Sikeston
price $2.12, less 1 cent per bushel for
selling charges, or $2.11 net The st.
Louis price would therefore govern,
being advantageous to the Sikeston
seller.
If our imaginary bushels of wheat
had started from Sikeston, since it was
No. 2 grade, we must deduct 8 cents
per bushel, which would bring the
price f. O. b. the elevator point to
$20802 per bushel. AS our imaginary
elevator man is charging cents per
bushel for handling, which includes
the commission fee just mentioned. we
deduct an additional 4 cents to arrive
at the price the farmer received. This
price would be $2.0402 at the elevator.
Some of that cents will return to our
farmer if the elevator prospers; for it
is owned comparatively.
When Farmer and Elevator Man Dis
agree.
Had this elevator been owned by pri-
vate firm or person, or had it been a
cline" plant, Col. Jenkins would not
have been so bland and trustfuI.
He might have refused to sell at all
and arranged to store his wheat or he
might have taken it over to a COM
petitive concern which offered q high
er price; for the Food Administration
has not yet attempted to regulate the
prices paid farmers for wheat at coun-
try points. 1t does, however, offer to
sell for any farmer or farmers organ
ization wheat offered at terminal
points, but makes commission charge
OF I per cent for its services.
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05
in Depends

half that of a year ago, or 1O0,000,000
bushels less. 1t was nothing short Of
master strategy.
The total number of bushels pur-
chased by the Grain Corporation from
the time 1t commenced activities to
February 1 is 97,276, 1859 Arranged
by months, the purchases in bushels
were: September, 7,841, 20920; Octo-
Der, 1855, 646.59; November, 30920,-
O74.26. December, 21,456, 249.06 and
January, 17,69S, 966OS.
During July and August our -four
exports were about the same as in the
same two months of 1916; but in Sep
tember October, and November, the
expectation was 90 per cent larger
than year ago. So the Grain Cor
poration has discharged our obliga-
tions to the allies, and restored our
four reserves, which is the larger as
pect of the question.
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

The New York jobber took for his
own, in this case, a profit of so cents
per barrel. He sold part of this ship
ment to retail merchant.
This merchant did small business
and was not licensed, but even here
was another social check. For the
retail merchants of the large cities
and those of many small cities and
towns find each morning and after
noon In the daily papers a price list
for flour and other commodities which
are considered fair by the Federal
Food Administrator for their State.
These prices are usually arrived at
through the machinery of the whole
salers' and the retailers organizations.
The retailer also discovered that the
jobber who sold him this -four was
keenly interested in the prices paid by
the consumer. For the Food Admins
tration has discovered an indirect
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

ing was taking place. Uncle Sam
had started on this remarkable ex-
pertinent; he was going to see wheth-
er wheat could be marketed minus
rake-offs to the spectators. This
necessitated complete control by the
Government of storage facilities, trans
portation and distributive agencies,
and the marketing machinery for
wheat and rye.
Everybody was troubled; most of
all, the officials of the Food Admins
tration Grain Corporation who had
undertaken, without salary and at the
sacrifice of their personal connection
with the grain trade, to whip into
shape the forces that would drive for
ward the big business machine for
marketing American wheat. A single
control; and a $50,O00,00O nonproft-
making corporation to do the work.
This work is a necessary arm of the
Food Administration, allowing the
Government to do business quickly
and without red tape It's stock is held
in trust by the President of the Unit
ed States. For the time of the war it
will supervise the rate or purchase
the part commercially available of the
66O,OOO,0O0 bushels of wheat and the
100000 surplus of rye grown in
America in 1917. Its job is TO find a
market for every bushel, irrespective
of class and grade. Under It's patron
age, wheat screenings are moving just
as easily as No. l Northern 1t must
also work out satisfactorily the local
prices for wheat at each of almost
10000 country elevator points, adjust
thousands of complaints organize the
gathering and analysis of date, inspect
concerns reported as dealing unfairly,
solve vexatious disagreements among
the trade, and deal effectively with the
allies purchasing agent and the neu-
trails who may desire to purchase.
In the early days, following the de-
termination of prices for 1917 wheat
by the Presidents Fair Price Commits
sion, confusion existed in every part of
the wheat-producing regions. This was
intensified by the Inaugural ton of the
new grain grades, as promulgated by
the Department of Agriculture, which
took place about the same time, and
led to diverse complaints and a feel.
ing among farmers that the Grain Cor
poration of the Food Administration
was responsible for both the price as
determined and stricter observance Of
grain grades. But the corporation was
responsible for neither act. 1t is pure
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

the Grain Corporation was making a
large purchase for the Allies and was
utilizing it's knowledge of available
stocks by having on the job trans
portation strategist-Edward Cham
bers, vice president of the Santa Fe.
Mr.. Chambers was assisting the Food
Administration and has a remarkable
"way with him." Even before he was
called to assist Mr. McAdoo, the Direc-
tor General, his suggestions to the rail-
sroads had wonderful effect in dis
couraging their hesitancy as to finding
available cars and in clearing up. con-
gestions that looked as though they
never could be uncongested.
How Uncle Sam Keeps the Whip
Ease in getting the needed cars was
one of the advantages enjoyed by this
particular elevator after signing the
voluntary agreement which coded to
the Grain Corporation the right to con-
troll storage and direct shipments and
sales of all wheat bought by the pro-
prietor.
While voluntary, this agreement is
almost compulsory since railroads give
priority recognition to Grain Corpora
ton requests for cars; and elevators
or mills outside the official folio must
Rustic for themselves. In return the
Government guarantees the elevator
proprietor against losses and protects
him in every way as to price and pays
him rentals for all storage space reQui-
sitioned by it
All elevators, local and terminal,
must take out licenses or face a shut
down, What is the power Of the Ii
cense? It requires the operator to lay
all cards on the table as to his bust
ness dealings For the time of the
war the elevator becomes public util-
ity and it's proprietor must furnish in
formation as to his business at any
time when required by the Grain Cor
poration Each week he must make
and mail reports showing the amount
of wheat, rye, or their derivatives, pur-
chased, stored, and shipped
Under present license terms, the IL
censee. can keep on hand for only 30
days, unless he obtains a special per-
NIT, any stocks of these grains or
their derivatives. He is also forbid
den to contract for the sale of any
product which can not be delivered
within 80 days after the contract is
made.
How the Wheat Was MiIled.
Away went our bushel of wheat on
it's journey to the terminal, where it
met other bushels of wheat from all
parts Of the territory that fed this
market. There it was regarded for
special requirements, marked for i'm
mediate milling and rolled on to a
large mill in Illinois. The miller
bought the wheat from the Grain Cor
pOration, fol each miller in the Unit
ed States is under license also, and
most of, them have filed out another
voluntary agreement which binds them
either to purchase all supplies from
the Grain Corporation or under its d.
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

About the same time our cooperative
elevator MANA or had listed a shipment
with his terminal representatives.
highly reputable commission firm, also
under Grain Corporation license. This
firm caught wind of the Georgia order
and secured permission to sell the Mis-
souri, wheat. The second bushel was
. among those poured into car and
hustled along to it's destination. This
shipment did not pass through any
terminal market. 1t moved straight
to Atlanta, where it went between the
rollers Of the MILL
Controlling the Jobber by License.
Now, the flour which came from our
second bushel of wheat was rolling
serenely along in another direction,
but the car was diverted by special or
der Of the o.. S. Food Administrator
and received by large wholesale job
Der in New York City. This jobber
also does business under a Food Ad-
ministration license, but administered
by the distribution division. Under Ii
cense terms the jobbers must sell at
a fair profit only, although the exact
amount of this profit is not determin-
ed, the Food Administration reserving
the right in each case to call halt
when a licensee has gone "the limit"
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

f-faeans of control of the retailer by
making the jobber voluntary police
man to his customer The jobber is
licensed to sell only to traders who
deal fairly, and if it should turn out
that jobber persists in doing bust
ness with retailers guilty of profiteer-
ing in staples under control the Food
Administration has and may exercise
the right to revoke the license of the
jobber.
The other part of this shipment con-
tanned our second bushel of wheat and
went over to the East Side into small
bakery, which quickly made. it into
creamy loaves. These Ioaves were
placed in groceries and delicatessens
and the next day were eaten by hum
CRY little boys and girls with dark
eyes and big noses and quaint ways.
Brings Out Startling Truths.
Government control has brought out
these startling truths:
More people unnecessarily make
their living out of wheat distribution
than was suspected. Thousands and
thousands of little spectators have
had to turn elsewhere for a livelihood.
A number of commission men have
had to close shop. There are places
where elevators should be built and
other places where there are too many
elevators. The Government, dominat-
ing the wheat market, carries its own
marine insurance Wheat handlers at
terminals have had their activities re-
stricted.
But most of all it is interesting to
see how the price of -four per barrel
tumbled from the time Uncle Sam took
a positive hand in the matter. The
Food Administration has recently COM
pleted an interesting chart on the
prices of wheat and bulk flour at Min
neapolis In a statement of Novem-
Der 26, the Food Administration says:
The farmer received for the 1915 har-
vest between SLAB and $3.50 per bushel
for the harvest, taking the country by
large and =. Last year he received
under 20 per cent of the price of the loaf.
Today he is receiving over 40 per cent of
the money paid for the cash loaf, this
being the result of the sterilization of
prices and the total elimination of hoard
ing and speculation in this industry.
The statement reports that farmers
on November &c were receiving with
freight charges included from the ter
ritory represented to Minneapolis, ap-
proximately $3.50 for Az bushels of
wheat. The price of bulk Hour at the
Minneapolis mill is about $1025 per
barrel, showing that the miller is now
receiving about rs cents per barrel,
which must include both his operating
expenses and profit.
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

narKe,. They also tend to correct
many abuses prevalent in the past,
such as cutthroat methods adopted by
mills to secure supplies and indiscrimi-
nate moving Of wheat to terminals.
For all practical purposes the wheat
business of the country is apportioned,
and whenever possible mills are sup
piled from wheat in the territory near
est them This policy has for an OBJ
ject the saving of waste in transpor-
tation. In another way saving is
made Formerly large quantities of
undergrade wheats have been difficult
to dispose of on account of unco-ordi-
mated purchase Of the competing mills;
but under Uncle Sans domination
each bushel of wheat must now go
somewhere and the poorer wheat will
move just as freely as the more de-
sirable grades.
Limiting MilIers' Profits.
The Illinois miller who received the
carlot containing our bushel of wheat
milled it promptly and shipped its flour
to port for expectation. The miller
was permitted by the Food Admins
tration to make fair profit, not ex-
ceeding a maximum of % cents per
barrel on the flour and maximum
profit Of 30 cents per ton on the feed
stuffs left over All mills, however,
must furnish at regular intervals to
the Milling Division full statements Of
manufacturing costs, which are scru-
tinized carefully. The derivatives of
this wheat the miller sold for domes-
tic consumption, as the policy OF the
Government is to keep in the United
States all available feedstuffs in order
to encourage livestock production.
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

! ly an administrative arm Of the Gov
eminent formed to buy grain or super.
wise it's sale at the prices determined
| by the commission, and it must do its
work on the basis of the new grades.
| But to return to our farmer and his
expectations of price
introducing TWO Bushels Of Wheat.
Lying side by side in his wagon had
been bushels Of wheat that fate had
marked for strangely different ends.
They were very much alike, those
bushels of wheat, and to look at them
you would not have suspected the
strange and wonderful adventures in
store for them. Yet one was destined
to travel abroad for consumption in
France; the other to find it's way into
Georgia, where it was milled and its
flour finally reached New York
baker on the East Side. But in the
sum of the travels made by the two,
as we shall follow them. will be I'M
folded the international panorama Of
wheat marketing in time of war.
Finding a Price at Country Point.
High war costs of production gave
our Missouri farmer much concern as
to his returns and accounted for his
depression over the prospects of his
wheat grading down.; for that meant
a reduction of 3 cents per bushel I'M
der the No. l grade. But it graded
No. 2.
The elevator would also deduct an
additional cents bushel to cover the
fixed charge made in this locality for
handling and selling. The 5-cent
charge included the commission of 1
cent per bushel customary in 1917
among commission men for selling the
wheat to domestic millers or foreign
buyers.
The elevator man was none too sure
as to how to get at the price which
this wheat should bring. He knew
considerably more about human nature
than freight rates and decided to
"check up the problem to the nearest
zone agent of the Grain Corporation.
So he wrote a letter to the representa-
tive stationed at st. Louis. That let
ter was referred to the traffic expert
ted the following rule for determining
the price of wheat at any country
point:
There is only one price for wheat at
a country point. That price is always
to be arrived at by taking as basis
the price at the most advantageous
primary market where we have fixed
a price and deducting the freight to
that market and fair handling profit.
That is the price to be paid for wheat
at any station, regardless of the point
to which it may be shipped.
Working out the price which should
be paid for wheat at your station is
a fine occupation for an off day. If
you cannot find the answer, write to
the Food Administration Grain Cor
poration in New York City and it's
traffic expert will give you aid.
Finding the Price of No. 2 Wheat at
SikeSton
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

period in 1915. In September, October
and November, under the supervision
of the Food Administration, flour pro-
duction was / Il per cent of the same
period in 1916 What this means in the
great national situation, with depleted
domestic flour reserves and clamoring
foreign buyers, can hardly be over
emphasized, when movement of wheat
into primary markets has been hardly
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

sample on to the st. Louis zone agent
for test, which verified his judgment as
to grade. He then went about his uSu-
al duties, cleaning the grain, filling his
bins, and shipping out as regularly as
he could in maximum carload quaint
ties, in order to economic the use of
cars In time of congestion He was
careful to keep his records -ery
straight as to dates and quantities of
wheat purchased, on hand, and shipped
out, for the Grain Corporation requires
weekly reports and full details Of
transactions
Selling Wheat to Government.
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05
Selling Wheat to Government.

BOUT 20 days after the
farmer brought in his
wheat there came a re-
quest to this elevator for
a carload to be purchas-
ed by the Grain Corpora
ton. So one of our
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

wheat bushels was poured into car
which miraculously had appeared on
the siding at time when car shortage
was troubling the entire commercial
world. Inquiry might have shown that
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

HESE schedules arrang-
ed for the various
markets are veritable
price dams to pre-
vent the overlooking
of the stream of
wheat at any single
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05


operatives became curious and made
inquiries. This wheat was part of a
large supply which the Grain Corpora
ton had brought into the United States
to aid in keeping the American mills
running.
There was another reason. Domes-
tic. wheat was not moving from the
farms as freely as the millers needed
1t, and shortage forced the mills to
operate at a great disadvantage and,
according to them, at higher costs.
The last journey stage Of our first
bushel, although considerably changed
In it's form, was to go as flour to port
under rush orders. 1t now had right
Of way over all other classes of freight
except other munitions of war. Con-
sent of the War Trade Board being
obtained it was loaded on a ship and
passed safely through the submarine
field to France, where it succored the
hungry.
We started out to follow the travels
of two bushels of wheat from the farm
to their points of consumption under
war condition with the .. S. Food Adj
ministration in control Of the market
ing. l have previously discussed the
Journeys Of these two bushels from
the farm to the elevator at the country
point Here they parted and one Of
them passed on to a terminal. and
from the terminal to a mill and from
the mill to seaboard There it went to
France for cOnSJJmntiOn
The Other Bushel of Wheat Starts
TraueIinu
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

s& AV share of the wheat dol
Nh 49, lar is one of the war
M EA time jobs Uncle Sam has
-SA done since food control
w "a became possible. After
% ~ five months of Crap
. AJ ping with the problem,
Uncle Sam is now trans
lating into the pockets of both produc-
ers and consumers benefits derived by
the Nation. He has shut off specula-
ton, produced free market and
movement of all grades of wheat, cut
expenses and induced a normal flow of
wheat in natural directions, and eff
fected thousand other economies.
The Food Administration Grain Cor
poration, which supervises the sale, or
itself buys every bushel of wheat pro-
duced in the Nation in it's progress
from country elevator to foreign buy
ers or domestic consumers, marks a
new step toward national efficiency.
How in four short months it has been
done is told in the following episodes
wherein two bushels of wheat Travelled
&c market.
One fine fall afternoon, Col. Bill
Jenkins, who farms somewhere in Mis-
souri,, loaded his wheat into a wagon
and drove along the black road that
led across the prairie to town. When
he reached the cooperative elevator
of which he was a stakeholder, he
pulled up on the scales, checked his
gross weights carefully, and began TO
unload. The manager came out and
asked:
when you want to sell this wheat?"
Il dunno" he answered. Zone
times about as good as another
these days. IT won't weigh any more
LATER" he added with a dry smile.
wheat shrinks lot" admitted the
manager 81 hear the Government
wants as much wheat as it can get
just now-understand the Allies do
eat a terrible lot of it since the war"
whats wheat to-day?" asked Col.
Jenkins, getting interested.
''Well, let me see," parleyed the
manager. 81 guess this wheat'd be
good No. under the new grades"
Grades? What about grades? That
Food Administration seems to mix into
mighty nigh everything from rabbits
to axle grease"
Hold on, Colonel" said the eleva-
tor man, good-naturedly. 1.-THE Food
Administration is not to blame. Con-
gress passed the act and told the De-
partment of Agriculture to fix the
grades. They became effective last
July. l sent out letter on it,
''Well, / guess you better sell for
the best you cam" said the farmer.
Il am needed at home" And he drove
away.
New Order In the Grain vJorld
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

RING last July and Au-
gust, while Congress was
wrestling with itself to
produce a food admins
tration, and there was
no Grain Corporation,
-four production in the
principal centers was 70
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05
New Order In the Grain World.

of this
kind might have taken
place in almost every
town i'll the great grain
belt of the Nation aft
er August 10; for revo-
luton in grain market
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

OW as to the other bushel
of wheat. A certain
Georgia miller, in need
Of supplies, notified the
Grain Corporation and
received permission to
buy on the omen market.
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

AXE an actual example {:
An elevator man in
Sikeston, Mo-, wanted
to know what price
No. 2 wheat should
bring at his station
when No. / wheat
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

UR delay In getting this
wheat started across
the world was occa-
stoned by the uncer-
tain judgment of the
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05
Milling Canadian Wheat.

lille our bushel was
being milled a carlot of
wheat reached this mill
from Canada. Importa-
ton Of Canadian wheat
without special consent
being forbidden. the mill
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

Under these conditions the proprietor
would probably sell at st. Joseph or
Chicago, according to his inclination.
The table further illustrates the
equalization Of prices and indicates to
what extent the miller is protected
when buying wheat in any territory.
Through this plan determinations
against the producer, the miller, and
the consumer are eliminated so far as
plan of such tremendous proportions.
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05

wheat would bring at five different
markets if shipped from Maryville,
Mo
Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1918-04-05
I'M the CovntrYGertLena1Q

DUBLING the farmers
share of the wheat dol
lar is one of the war;
time jobs Uncle Sam has
done since food control
became possible. After
five months of Crap
ping with the problem,