The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22
aid PARTY LINES DISAPPEAR In
HIGH PRICE AND RAILROAD ISSUES
DIR WASHING TON LETTER

conditions is for 715,OOO,OOO bushels
OF winter wheat and 225,OOO. 900
bushels of spring wheat, a total of
94O,OO0,000 bushels.
President Wilson, in his address n
congress this week, mentioned the
falling OFT of the anticipated wheat
crop. Though the wheat crop is
not what we hoped it would be- he
said, lit is abundant if handled with
proVldent care" He promised that
wheat shipments and credits to facili-
tate the purchase of domestic wheat
VIII be limited and controlled in
such way as not to raise but rath
er TO lower the price of -four"
HUSTON HOLDS UP BILL
While evidence accumulates that
the wheat crop is seriously deteriorat-
ing at a time when famine. stares
the world in the face, Secretary of
agriculture Houston has as vet re-
fused to show sufficient interest to
even lndorse the remedial bill of Rep
resentatlve Sinclair, appropriating
S5,OOO,OOO for the purchase of seed
grain and feed for livestock, to be
SGppned to farmers and stockmen in
drouth-stricken areas. Mr.. Sinclair
is hoping to secure this Endorsement
next week. Almost a month has
passed since he introduced the bill.
but nothing can be done to forward
1t until 1t receives the O. K. of Mr..
Houston,
Mr.. Sinclair points out that ST..
100000 loaned the farmers of the
southwestern states for seed purchase
by the department of agriculture a
year ago resulted in practically doubl-
ing the wheat acreage planted in
those states. Money loaned for this
purpose has always proved an excel
lent investment, but it would appear
that the secretary of agriculture
hates to let any one but himself get
any credit for helping the farmers.
he does need it himself, perhaps.
The first of series of farmers
conferences scheduled to be held in
Washington in the near future to
help keep congress straight on agri-
cultural problems opened here Mon
day, August II. John e. Brown,
president of the Indiana Federation
Of Farmers Associations, sponsored
the conference and representatives of
farm organizations in "a wheat and
corn growing states were in attend
ance. Delegates were appointed to
remain in Washington to check up on
congress during the next few criti-
,. cal weeks.
POTASH TO COME IN
Of great interest to eastern and
southern farmers is the decision of
the war trade board to lift all re-
Strictions on the importation Of fer
tilizer potash from Germany. The
decision is marked victory for the
National Grange and the Federal
, Board of Farm Organizations, whose
representatives have been urging
this step against the protest of the
American Potash Manufacturers as
ISOLATION, who are anxious to build
{ an alright monopoly for their mem
bers.
A statement by Vance Mccormick,
chairman of the war trade board,
states that henceforth potash may
, be imported without license from ev-
cry country except Hungary and the
parts of Russia under Bolshevik con-
troll.
SOME boarded FOODS
Evidence 0f the way the law of
! supply and demand has been para
lyzed by the manipulations of the
packers and other food monopolists
has been collected by the federal
, trade commission, and was cited by
, the president in making his urgent
Iroo lott 70 fnr
: ducing living costs.
, The supply of fresh eggs on hanC
in June of this year, for instance, was
. 10 per cent greater than the supply
on hand last year, yet the wholesale
price had risen 10 cents a dozen. TIL,
stock of frozen fowls in the same
period had increased 300 per cent, the
: average price also increasing cents
. a pound.
While the supply of creamery but
terter increased 129 per cent the
price went up from Al to So cents 1
. pound Canned corn doubled il
= stock, but increased in price. Canne'
:. salmon showed similar increase IL
o stock and price. The supply of sal
beef increased per cent and the
- prise rose from $34 a barrel to So
. barrel
! These are only a few samples O
!, the way the food monopolists hav'
n been able to manipulate the marke
: at the expense of both farmer AM
- city housewife. They are samples
5 however, which it will take more in
r telligent packer propaganda than an
" vet put out to disprove.
RUSSIAN POLICY FAILS
The failure of the allied policy o
= Intervention in Russia has been mad
" more apparent during the last week
3 Kolchak is reported as thoroughly
q broken so far as hope of his bein
- able to check the soviet government
n concerned. He has retired severa
: hundred miles to the east. At tn
# same time the city of Archangel an
the Thurman coast is. about all tina
! is left to the north Russian expedl
% ton. and the government set up /
K Archangel by the allies is issuini
=, frantic appeals to the world. In