The sun., 1919-08-06

The price of 1925 a bushel which
the farmers Of the United States are
getting for their wheat needs no de-
fence by Senator GRoNNA or by any
body else. THE sun has made that
plain not once or twice, but many
times. Our Government entered into
a contract with the farmers--with
anybody and everybody who could
or would raise wheat-to pay them
that price for all they might raise.
The farmers went to work under that
agreement to raise, at whatever ef-
fort and cost, more wheat than this
country ever had known before. and
they raised it They are entitled to
the last penny Of the contract price
on the last bushel Of wheat they may
harvest for 1910. There Is no argu-
ment about this; there could be none.
Nor does the Governments offer Of
1925 need any defence. 1t was war
measure. 1t was a war measure at
one and the same time Of deep wisdom
and of imperative necessity. Had the
war continued through this year 1t
would have been up to US to provide
our Allies with their bread. On their
bread supply as we'll as on our own we
could take no chances. II a price of
So. % to the farmers had been essen
tial to an adequate harvest for our
selves and for our Allies that price
any price-would have been justified.
There Is no argument about that,
either.
But none Of that is the question to-
day. The question-and 1t is crucial
question-is, what must the American
people now pay Mr.. WILSON'S Food
Administration for their own wheat
bought with their own money.
The war is over. 1t has been over
for three-quarters Of year. Our Al
| lies are no longer sowing battlefields
with dead soldiers; they are cultivat-
ing crops. The ships Of the world are
no longer freighting munitions; they
are freighting food. And we have al
hand or in sight more wheat, by al
least half a billion Of bushels, than
| this nation can consume. We have al
hand or in sight more surplus wheat
than there are or will. be ships tC
carry It abroad. There is so much Of
| Il that we cannot eat II. There Is sc
much Of 1t that we cannot ship 1t
There is 30 much of it that If we tried
to give 1t away we could not, for lacl
of transportation means to deliver 1t
get rid Of 1t.
Yet Mr.. WILSON'S Wheat Admins
tration thus far has insisted upor
selling to the American people at fam
inc prices the wheat 1t has bought ant
is buying from the farmers with tn,
American peoples money.
Can there be any rational defenc,
for that?
Worse yet; worse even than tn,
price of wheat: When Mr.. WILSON,
Grain Administration, after the wa
was over, adopted its peace policy o
compelling the American people still
to ent their daily bread at war prices
paying again IN the bake shops inordi
nate prices for the wheat they had al
ready bought from the farmers throug
the Treasury with their tax moneys
when Mr.. WILSON'S Grain Admins
tration did that thing 1t automati
cally drove up, high up, the marke
price of corn.
Corn, which feeds and fattens cal
tie. Corn, which feeds and fatten
sheep. Corn, which feeds and fatten
} hogs. Corn, which feeds and fatten
poultry. Corn, which through tn
: beef products, pork products an
: dairy products, feeds man. Corr
D which Mr.. WILSON'S Grain Admin
i istratlon constituted the voraciou
! price maker OF all food.
, Can there be any rational defenc
e for that?
( Mr.. WILSON'S Administration mus
r let the American people have the
n own wheat, bought from the farmer
r through the Treasury with their ow