Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-09-19
STATEMENT OF CON-
M|TTEEOM AGRICULTURE

ment on the agricultural situation
which emphatically asserts the need
of changing wheat grading rules and
discounts which it is claimed if I'M
changed may rob wheat growers Of
from 80 TO IS cents bushel on hun
dreds of millions of bushels of wheat
and which will deny the producers
even living wages. The statement
has the endorsement of the entire
committee and has received the I'M
qualified support of the National
Board of Farm Organizations and the
National Grange which have COM
bined membership of approximately
three million producing farmers. The
senators and farm organization rep
resentatives say that the wheat,
though shriveled owing to the unusu-
al heat of the summer, is of the high
est milling value and will enter in
large measure into the production OF
the high priced patent flours and be
sold to the consuming public at prices
based on No. l wheat, so that pro-
ducers will be defrauded and con-
sumers receive no benefit
The committee believes that grave
which may result in serious injury
to the entire nation as we'll and as
serts that the drive against the high
cost of living is coming at time
when the great staple products of
the farm, which represent the re-
suit of the farmers entire seasons
labor, are going to market.
The statement of the agricultural
situation follows:
This statement to tie public is
made as a result of a settled convic-
tion that city people should be told
the plain unvarnished truth with re-
spect to agriculture. The senators
and representatives WI ose names are
subscribed to this statement feel the
need of presenting the farmers view
point and urging their claims, beliey-
ing that grave injustice is being done
the farmer and may continue to ac-
cumulate and seriously injure not
only agriculture but the entire ma
tion as we'll We believe that it is
automatic that agriculture is the root
of this nations we'll being, 1t is our
privilege to have been closely asso-
ciated with the farming industry.
We have received thousands of let
ters and kilograms from farmers tell
ing us of the seasons shattered ex-
pectations of bumper crop of wheat
and reciting the effect Of drought,
insects and disease rs we'll as in daily
touch with the represer .atives of the
great farm organiZat' ons of this
country maintaining offices here at
Washington and whose testimony
augments and corrobcrates the facts
as presented to us by out constitu-
ents. In cooperation with the ac-
credited representatives of these
great 'self-help' movements of
farmers, we shall expect to issue adj
ditional statements from time TO
time
The people of the farms are deep
ly concerned in the unrest manifest
now in the serious protests against
the high price of the necessities of
life. While entirely sympathetic
with the hardships which present
prices cause the people of the city,
farmers individually and through
their organizations are 70 less con-
cerned with their own economic sit
uation and with the questions of
production of the raw materials of
food and clothing. The effect of
the present agitation must be seen
from the point of view of the pro-
ducer in order to be understood.
There is danger that city interests,
by reason of their predominance in
number and organization, may take
unwise steps without understanding
the almost self-eyident result of such
unreasoning acts as might ruin the
farmer and seriously reduce farm
production in the immediate future.
The powerful machinery of the
government is now being set in mo-
ton to apprehend and bring to JUS
tiee those who are guilty of conspi-
racy to restrain trade and secure I'M
due profits. But it must be remem-
bered that this drive is now coming
at time when the great staple prod
ucts of the farm are going to market
and that in selling the wheat crop.
for instnce, the farmer is selling his
entire seasons labor. This is an ex-
perience with which the farmer is
very familiar and he instinctivelv
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