The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-12-26
THE WEEK

! THE WEEK
Reduced Crops-Answer to Raids
Deaekine and Kolchak Forsaken
Standardized Flour
Lady Astor's First Vote
Government figures show that the
have reduced their wheat acreage by
about 100000 less than that of
1916. We have here the silent ans
wer Of the neglected producer to un-
favorable conditions. This answer
also meets the stories about great
farm prosperity effectively.
If the farmers had done we'll with
winter wheat last year and had the
means now they would plant a larger
rather than a smaller acreage. But
there is no way by which the farmer
can continue putting more into the
ground than he takes out. The rye
acreage is smaller by 100000 acres.
In fact, we shall find reductions in
all lines of farm products in which
price-fxing or "cost-of-living" raids
have resulted in unfair returns. The
consumers must pay for the smaller
production with higher prices next
year.
Allowing 10 bushels to the acre, we
shall be short 12O,O0O,OOO bushels of
winter wheat next year.
Decision of the allied council to
abandon aid to Denekine and Kolchak
is announced in the press. Whether
the alright blockade will also be lift
ed is not stated. There is little prob
ability that it will, for the decision
to stop direct aid is not prompted by
desire to make peace with Russia but
by the belief that aid to the factions
fighting in the field is like sticking
money into the ground, and none OF
the allies can afford this.
Shortly after the petering out Of
the attack on Petrograd came the
smashing defeat Of Kolchak, and now
Denekine is retreating with seven
league boots. He is also attacked in
the rear by revolving peasants in the
Caucasus. And England alone has
spent $47O,000,OOO to date on Kol-
chalk, Denekine and the north Rus
sian fiasco.
Perhaps the widespread protest by
American business men against re-
flsal to allow them to send goods to
Russia for cash, will have an import
ant effect on the blockade. The lack
of balance between city and agricul-
tural production caused by the block
ade is probably the worst problem
Soviet Russia has to face. Many al
lied statesmen and writer's expected
this to break Soviet rule long ago.
Our government grain corporation
asks public support for method
that really reduces the margin be-
tween producer and consumer. Few
will question that our marketing costs
have mounted, because we have got
ten away from bulk goods and have
been educated" by advertisers to
special brands and expensive pack
ages. The consumer pays for the ad-
vertising and the other frills. Why
not standardiZe our necessaries and
cub out this expensive business.
- The grain corporation offers what
II .k4RS il good flour much cheaper
than ftate producers of brands" can
sell It for; that is, it will retail for
about 10 cents per one-sixteenth of
barrel, % opposed to the 80 cents or
more asked by the dealers with fancy
labels and big advertising bills. This
government flour, purchased on de-
tailed specifications from the millers,
is marked UNITED States Grain Cor
poration Standard Pure Wheat
Flour"
The milling combine may be able
to put a crimp into this flour-market-
ing reform. Time will tell. But it is
certainly in the right direction. If
the government would guarantee the
quality of the bulk goods in the inn
portant lines and if the people could
unleaIn their Education" on brands,
marketing costs could be considerably
reduced.
Lady Astor's first vote in parlia-
ment is not commented on by the pa
pers which have had so much to say
about her triumph at the polls and
her great democracy in spite of her
great wealth. Do they feel that the
American public are too simple mind
edit appreciate the democracy of her
first vote?
HWas a question of granting suf-
fra9e'tO India, and Lady Astor voted
against the provision on the ground
that she was opposed to granting suf-
frage to the men of India without Civ
ing it to the women at the same time.
Labor party men, who democracy is
always "open to serious question:"
Ypted to give India the suffrage. Per-
hAps they thought the men there
would look after their own women.
The members above suspicion voted