Evening journal., 1919-01-30

will make this sacrifice TO get the
wheels started again, though at the
/ risk, frequently experienced In the
past, OF liquidation panic.
/ But by the very fortune Of war 1t
now happens that while our manu-
featuring industries cut prices to find
a responsive market for normal busi-
ness, concurrently the public's cost OF
living can be brought down. brought
down heavily, by stu another means.
Il is In the power of the President OF
the United States TO. do this thing in a
way as simple as Il will be effective.
For the general public the high cost OF
living reflects chiefly the cost OF food.
In these particular days the basis Of
food prices is wheat.
Under contract with the American
farmers the United States Government
will buy all the wheat they can raise
this year at s226 a bushel. With this
price guaranteed, the farmers have
planted such a crop OF winter wheat
and will plant such a crop OF spring
wheat that the lowest estimate any
body makes for the harvest OF 1919 IL
i.i00OO0,O00 bushels. II may easily run
past a billion and quarter Of bushels.
The American people in a whole year
do not consume even at normal prices,
half Of such a quantity as a billion and
q quarter Of bushels Of wheat With
the war over, with the surplus stocks
OF South America, Australia and other
wheat growing countries at last re-
leased for export, Europe will not re-
quire a great deal Of our excess crop
Of this year in any event. Europe will
not take any Of that wheat on the
basis Of s226 a bushel
Is the United States Government, then,
because it must pay the farmer S226 a
bushel by contract, going to make the
American consumers eat their bread on
a s226 basis, when there will be wheat
in this our own country to burn?
Wheat. mind you, sold to the Ameri-
can consumer at famine prices cannot
/ fail to make inordlnate prices for corn
and all other foOdstuffs. Keep wheat
I lacked up on the s. 26 basis and all
other grains will be put up at a cores
ponding level Then because the cattla
and sheep must be fattened for market
with grain, beef and mutton must con-
tinue at sky high prices. Because poul-
try must be fed on grain II win con-
tlnue at high prices. Likewise eggs,
milk, butter, cheese.
All those prices hang on wheat. No
matter what the government has Ia
pay to the farmer-and 10 preserve Its
good faith the government must pay
the contract price-President Wilson
can decree that This years prodlgious
wheat CROP. after the government has
bought il, can go on the market 10 con-
! sumers at prices determined by the law
OF supply and demand. That will be q
normal, even a low price range. When
the American people are eating bread
at normal prices the stock ralsers Of
the country will be feeding grain to
their steers and hogs at normal prices.
the dairymen will be feeding grain TO
their cows at normal prices, poultry
men will be feeding grain to their
chickens and ducks and geese at normal
prices. The American consumers will
again be buying not only their bread
! but their other main food supplies at
normal prices.
This grave matter Of the buying
power Of a dollar, Of the capacity Of a
reasonable wage to support an Amer
/ lean worker and his family as we all
want them TO be supported, Of a ma
tion's bread and butter, lies at present
in the hollow Of President Wilson's S
hand.