The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-03-08
Wheat Guarantee
Debate
Stevenson Takes Part in Con-
gress Discussion--Cotton
Seed Losses.

Washington, March e.-One of the
important bills which has been under
discussion here for several days was
that enabling the president to carry
out the price guarantee made TO
producers OF wheat. and protect the
United States against undue enhance
ment OF its liabilities. South Caro-
linians will read with interest the fol-
lowing remarks made on this subject
by Congressman Stevenson of South
Carolina:
81 am somewhat in sympathy with
the purpose of the gentleman from
Pennsylvania {Nlr. Moore) in so far
as protection to the consumer is con-
cerned. i had an idea that he was
to be protected under the licensing or
supervising system provided IN the
bill; but / want to talk just a min
ute about some OF those who nave
not had any protection, and | am a
little curious to know why they did
not put some provision in the bill !or
the protection Of some more OF the
farmers.
",fhe statement has been made
made out of it, that nohody's price
was fixed except the wheat man
urcie. The rnisstatement amounts to
this, that nobody'& price was fMed
and guaranteed except the wheat
mans; and want TO say to you th;tt
there is large class OF farmers the
price Of whose goods has been fixed
but was not guaranteed and they are
tied up iignt today and have lost over
Sl00 600 6G0. Take the matter Of
the cotton seed Of the farmers OF the
Sou,h--about 100000 tons. II was
selling at $50 a ton. They care ;ionS
and said that they must 1IX The price
OF that to prevent eSorbitant cha fges,
and they reduced the price to soy q
ton, making Il deduction AT one Hex
irsn the market price Of $76,9oo,o 900.
They fixed it at that and let it run
along for a while, until some Of tilt.
n1iddlen1en and some Of the farmers
had considerable stocks ard seed on
hand which they had obtained at tht.
price fixed by the government, and
then they reduced II another dollar
a ton They did not guarantee that
anybody could SCH it at that. That
took $5,8O6.060 more. Then they
took the nnters and reduced the price
cents pound-tlln linters that
were to be taken by the government
for the manufacture OF explosives. BY
that reduction they caused the farm
er. of the South Z loss Of $2i .00b, 900,
hut they made no guaranty about
taking care Of the loss that we Srs-
tanned there. They Went ahead then.
an6, as soon as the arlnistice is sign
ed they cancel all of the contracts FOR
Enters and render them lifeless, so
that the farmers can get only cent
a pound for them now. That cost us
another niggardly $16.000,o00 as u
result. OF price fixing without Il guar
an.y attached. That 1ntAes S1i2.-
030, ,0G0 that they fixed for us, but
they did not guarantee us against
loss. / synnpathize with the gentle
man over there who wants TO &:
guaranteed against loss on the Hour
that we are going TO buy from those
fellows who had a guaranty out West.
You must remember that cotton seed,
after it is crushed and put into the
mill, is sold back to the farmer for
fertilizer; and they said, If you take
that seed home and keep it over 60
days you will be guilty OF boarding,
and they indicted some people in my
county for boarding cot. n seed. so
we had TO let it go until the mills
were blocked and they have not