El Nuevo mexicano., 1919-01-09
HIGH PRICES NOT DUE
TO ? %ROFITE[R|NG BY
AMERICAN FARMERS, IS
ASSERTED TO BRITISH

TNSG NbMtNtoi nAIOh H0UVEl
: GOES TO DEFENSE or AGRlcul
TURtSTs OF HIS OWN cOUMTR'
IN CONVERSATION WITH ENC
LisH LEADERS.
I'd London.-tCorrespondence OF tn
Associated Press)-Herbert G.. Hooy
q or, American food administrator. o.
his visit to England assured the PEG
pie Of this country that the high cos
OF food was not due to any pfofiteer
A ing BY farmers In the United States
The statement he issued to the Brit
ish press shows that the guaranteed
price or grain to the American farmer
not only is smaller than the guaran
tee TO the British farmer but the
Amertcan's yield Is fifty per cent less
an acre. If the British shipping rate
Mr.. Hoover said, had Increased only
pro rata to the American farmers in.
crease, the cost of wheat IN England
would be about s2S a quarter Of 4sO
pounds, instead Of the present s26.76.
X keenly realize Mr.. Hoover said.
"how hard the present price levels
bear on all consumers and more es.
pecSally upon the allied peoples, whose
economic wage plane Is much below
that in th eUnited States. So far as
the United States is concerned, it is
not a matter, of ~profiteefing, but is n
of deep complexity Of economical
forces n provision for world neces.
stiles.
He cited a table including the com
~parative Levels before and after the
establishment of war controls BY the
United States government Of prices OF
Wheat, hogs, maize, oats, sugar, steel
and copper, adding that prices have
been invariably the same to the allies
as to our consumers and our own
government.
THE high price levels, however,
created before we entered the war,
the statement continued, caused our
labor and other food production costs
to increase BY leaps and bounds. and
to prevent any return during the war
to 1914 levels"
After discussing factors other than
American conditions which have in
creased the cost OF food to the alIies.1
particularly overseas transport, he
noted that feed prices paid to the Eng
dish farmer we're about 20 per cent
higher than the prices realized by the
American farmer for oats and barley.
n am in hopes he said, that the
freeing OF the seas from war losses
may render it possible quickly to re-
duce the sea charges to at least the
same ratio of increase as the Amerf-
can farmer receives"
~ProfIteering and speculation In pork
have been removed in the states, Mr..
Hoover told the British people, by
government control OF the packing
houses. He added:
In a broad view | am certain that
our agricultural margins are SO low
a ten per cent reduction in prices
to our farmers would stifle our produc.
ton to the extinction of our conse-
.Quential export surpluses. This mar
gin of ten per cent is the price that
our own consumers and your consnm-
ers pay for stimulation Of production.
Our American consumers rightfully
but cheerfully feel that we are taking
rom them this extra ten per cent in
prices in order that we may take our
part in carrying this world burden.
As I view the worlds food assets this
moment, | am convinced that the ex-
ira marginal surplus from the United
states is OF priceless value to the i'm {
nensity Of human life a stake between
and next harvest" :
IL. Clovis viii have no cleo (
ion contest as ]. p. Noble who has I
leen 50 long and so efficiently the In
OF the place in Clovis as to !
rave no opponent ana this will be the
l~uietest election here In this county !
n years. .
TAOS TO HAVE LIBRARY. !,
Taos, N M, Jan. 8.--A publicN II. F,
,rary is to be provided for the citizens !
Il Taos. A meeting, responsive to o !
public sentiment, was held I
lere last week when $85 and a con,
iderable list of books was pledged as
starter for the enterprise. A board
II five directors was chosen which r
viii meet in a few days and formally
the library project in motion. I
funds are TO be raised for the pur- \
OF several hundred books and
/ is probable that the high school 2
Ibrary will be consolidated with the
enterprise. 9
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