The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-29
Raid on Farm Products Planned
to Protect Pr0fIteefs
From Storm. j
oUAck REMEDY A MENACE
Farm Prices Below Cost of Production
Would Lower Production Next
Year and Thus Increase Cost
of Living Problem.

effort backed by all those great
j interests anxious to escape the
present storm against the high
cost OF living, Is being made to
/ put the burden of any remedy on
the western farmer.
The lobbyists for the interests
at the capitol declare that the
remedy lies in holding the farmers
wheat down to the minimum, for
they say corn, meats and other
food products will decline in SYM
| pathy. Little consideration evil
IDENTITY is being given as to wheth-
err this so-caiied remedy is fair to
the farmer or whether it will
really solve any problem, for the
cnief consideration is to weather
the temporary storm.
Farm representatives point out that
wheat lost it's supposed relation to
other prices when the government
fixed the price in September. 1917.
For many years before that time wheat
sold on the average for double the
price of corn and about 10 times the
price of cotton. But for the last two
years, wheat has been far under this
ratio. On August 1, of this year corn
was quoted on the Minneapolis ex-
change at $1.98 and cotton around "a
cents pound in New York. These
figures, therefore, would warrant a
wheat price of $40 to 1894 whereas
the very best new wheat is bringing
only $3.50 and the bulk of the wheat
is moving at figures very close to the
minimum. During 1917 and 1918 even
rye at times went over the price of
wheat.
Price Is Below Cost.
The farmers also point out that the
price set for wheat in September.
1917, was below the cost of uruduc.
ton for over half the wheat farmers
Commissioner of Agriculture Hagan.
OF North Dakota, put the cost at s26..
66 per acre for that state and the
Dushei cost as ranging from s2.43 TO
over 50, depending on the number of
bushels per acre harvested. Other
testimony at the time from wheat |
raisers and agricultural experts |
showed similar figures except that of |
the department. of agriculture which
got lower costs by leaving out the /
acreage which the wheat farmer nor /
maliy has to abandon during the crop I
year and also the cost OF necessary /
allowing in some, wheat states. Prac-
,1cally every item OF cost in growing
wheat Is higher for 1919 than il was
,or 1917.
Such being the case the farmer rep
'esentatives point out that the failure
o give the farmers any market nrice
,Dtainable over the minimum would
esult IN impcyerisling them still fur.
her and in cutting down of produc-
ion next year which would make our
ost of living problem far worse than
t is now
Flour Runs Wild.
Two months ago Director Barnes of
he Government Grain Corporation
ound that the middlemen were re-
orting to wild profteering in flour ]
nd he was able at that time to lower
our prices somewhat by. threatening
sell flour he had bought for export
t S1l.50 barrel He could have
lade good profit for the government
this figure, which was about 5000 /
nder the market range. At the pres. '
ut time patent -four is priced at s12- I
to $13 on the lowest jobbing mar o
1t In the country, that at Mime
,olis =
Studies made recently by E. H.
ahnke of the Minnesota Appeal
bard would show that the Mime :
oils millers could pay $256 for their :
heat, which is more than the aver b
Q price now and sell the flour at
oft for $1,000 at the mill doors.
Chairman Colyer of the Federal
ade commission and many other ex-
rts hold to the view that the solu- TT
n lies in eliminating the profiteering
d waste of middlemen and in stimu-
ing production of mine, factory and
m, but these experts get little at
ltion from political congress. of
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