Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-08-28
TAKES ACTION ON
WHEAT PRICES
Head of Grain Corporation
Discusses Situation in
Regard to Grading

New York, Aug. 2S.-Announce-
ment that the United States Grain
| Corporation would at once declare
the basis on which it will purchase
| the various lower qualities of wheat
was made to-day by Julius H.
Barnes, United States Wheat Direc-
tor, following an all-day meeting,
during which Mr.. Barnes discussed
wheat grading and prices received
| by farmers for wheat with various
| members of Congress, representa-
tiVes of farmers organizations and
vice presidents of the grain corpora
| ton.
At the close of the meeting Mr..
Barnes stated that the grain corpor-
alton would follow this course as a
| protection to the producer against
under payment of the proper rel
ative value of his wheat and in order
to reasSUre country buyers of the
ultimate value of lower grades on
! arrival at the terminals. For two
years it has not been necessary for
| the grain corporation to announce
a basis on which it would buy lower
qualities because of the preponder-
ance of high grades of wheat in
past crops.
Consider Producer First
The Wheat Director urged that
every possible consideration be given
the producer, unfortunate now in
the character of his yield, and the
establishment of a basis as close to
the guarantee price of No. l as
could be justified by Interpretation
in favor of the producer of each
practical doubt.
In discussing the conference, Mr..
Barnes pointed out that the relative
prices which the grain corporation
might fix would bear a relation to
the guaranteed price at the terminal
markets only and not to the current
price which in such markets as
Minneapolis is ruling 80 to 40 cents
above the guarantee basis and that
no attempt would be made by the
grain corporation to reflect any
premium basis above the actual
guarantee price. He added that with
the execution of 10000 contracts
between the grain corporation and
country mills and dealers, any pro-
ducer who felt that he was not being
fairly treated in grades and price
could, by submitting sample
through the mails, receive a de-
cision, binding on the buyer, as to
the proper relation to the guaran-
tee No. l price at the terminals, but
not as to its relation with any
~ Ni4iIulll btiSlS GllIIy TuIlllB Ill
the terminals and outside of the
grain corporation buying.
Threshing and marketing in the
Northwest have now reached a stage
demonstrating the large proportion
of the crop shrunken and damaged
by heat and premature rlpening
Flour qualities of much of this
wheat appear 10 be excellent owing
to its high gluten strength and low
per cent of moisture content. Be-
cause of this shrinkage in the berry,
many producers in the Northwest
are securing yields as low as four to
six bushels, where fifteen to twenty
had been confidently expected.
DR.. Ladd, OF North Dakota, pre-
sentcd at the conference tables
showing exhaustive experiments
made in 1916 by the Agricultural
College of North Dakota. He ex-
pressed the conviction that the
quality of No. wheat in the North
west indicated a value for actual
milling of within 10 cents per busheI
of the No. l price.
The grain corporation will an
nounce a scale of relation to their
No. price for lower qualities, prob
ably tomorrow, and thereafter
country buyers must pay to the pro-
ducer not less than the freight and
handling charge relation to the
grain corporation terminal prices so
given.