The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-02-13
KEEP UP PRICES,
 FARMERS URGE
Products of Farms Should Be Kept at Their War
 Level.

W dSnlnStOn, rep. 1o-OFSdNIISu Ia Dor elements are not the only ones that are working to keep the war time level of compensation where 1t is. Labor leaders have repeatedly served notice that there must be no dimin- ution of wages now that peace has come. But there are others who are taking the same position about the things they have to sell.
 Members from the agricultural states are considerably perturbed by demands which are beginning to come In from their farmer constituents, in sisting that the prices of farm pro ducts ought to be held up to their wal level and not allowed to go lower The argument is finding It's way into some of the farm journals.
 In support of the proposition, 1t ii argued that because of high wages high cost of materials, and the like the farmer must continue to get higt prices. Failing in that it is sait that in the first place there will grad ually be serious diminution In pro duction, and the agricultural lands ol America will tend to deteriorate. Inasmuch as business men, manu' lecturers, mining interests, metal In tereSts, and so on are fighting off : lowering of price levels, 1t can haTdl5 be maintained that there is any ob' llquity in the farmer doing likewise
 However. 1t is unlikely that any thing resembling a majority of con gress can be induced to support this doctrine. If it were to be supported | and lived up to the ultimate con i sumner, who has had hard sleddins thi iough the war in many ways. m-l1 be expected to emit loud protest. Ant there are enough members in con gress who lepresent large co1;+ituen | against keeping up the prices of asri cultural products.
 So far as the wheat guarantee | concerned, that is an old obligation as viewed by most members of con | gress, which will have to be met. A that there Is much opposition to ex tending the guarantee to sprin. wheat, which is not yet in thu ground
 
 ducers to want prices kept up, it ap pears that passage of the wheat guar antee bill may be much delayed some think endangered-becaus cot ton state members are planning tt promote a rider to the bill to direc that the government buy larg' amount of cotton in order to stabilize and sustain cotton prices
 Such a plan will arouse strong an i tagonism in both houses, and 1t i conceivable that 1t might tangle ul the wheat guarantee bill fatally though 1t probably will not.
 Outside of those members who hav l constituencies to a large extent in terested in keeping up prices alon certain lines, and more intereste 1 in this than in consumption prices there is a feeling in congres that as a matter of fact prices canno be kept up to near the wartime leve It is felt there must be recession in nearly all fields. Otherwise ther would have to be wide reorganiza tion of standards of pay of employee in a great many lines. All persons O salary or wage basis would hay to be highly paid in comparison wit the pay of the ante-war period in or der to make living for themselve and families.
 In connection with the talk of keep ing up prices of farm products, ther is great interest among agricultural ists in the future of the America merchant marine. Farmers are be ginning to demand there be no sub sidy to merchant shipping.
 The theory is that to encourag foreign trade too much would mea heavy importations of Argentine Australian, and other foreign graf in exchange for American products This would tend to hold down price for foodstuffs and other agriculture products here.