The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-07
BY WILLIAM r. sANsoRN

~ WILLIAM r. SANBORN
Give US this day our daily bread.
This has been the heartfelt prayer OF
more millions Of people during the last
TOUR Iateful years, than possibly dur
ing the entire preceding century. 1t
has not only been prayer to heaven,
cut also TO those who have enough
and to spare.
But the National Housewives
League Of America not only asks fo-
oaliy bread, but Is demanding that
the president give US back our FIVE
cent LOAF. This indeed is the tenor
OF the cable sent to Mr.. Wilson at
Paris a few days ago by Mrs. Julian
Heatn, president Of the league. Mrs.
Heath claims to speak for 20 per cent
Of the country's consumers and she
Is In dead earnest In her appeal. She
suggested to the president the letting
down OF all bars on the importation of
grain at once, in order to check specu-
ia1on and thus Immediately lower the
cost Of living.
Her Appeal by Cable
From the rather lengthy cable dis
patched to Paris we excerpt as fol-
lows:
The housewives of 20 per cent Of
the consumers In this country, the
remaining 30 Fer cent being farmers
wives, through the National House
wives League of the United States,
appeal to you for immediate execu-
tive action at the coming session to
reduce the cost of living, which,
through present prices of bread, meat
and corn, has become unbearable. VIII
You not use your unlimited power for
good to put bread into the mouths of
the people? Give US back our five-cent
loaf and help suffering humanity, now
staggering under the cruel yoke of pro-
h1bitive prices Of the bare necessities
of Hfe.''
Present Price Of Wheat
AT this writing we are on the verge
OF 50 wheat In our western markets,
unless the trend Of prices immediate
~ changes. A grain company In Chi
cago quoted No. Red Winter wheat
at $2-88 to Richmond miller on Tues
day and Cincinnati firm quoted the
same grade at $2.s5 per bushel at the
same time.
These prices are purely speculative,
and, In view Of the liberal supplies in
a thousand graineries are seemingly
out of reason.
Who is to blame? Well, certainly
not the baker who has troubles of his
own, In plenty. The baker makes no
flour. Nor is the average farmer to
blame for he holds little or no wheat;
nor has he In many months. Most Of
us are inclined to blame the great
millers who have miles of line eleva-
tors filled with wheat bought at much
lower prices. An advance on their
own wheat means a corresponding ad-
vance in four-which means two
profits-the first on the wheat they
dole out to those less fortunately sit
uated and the second on the grain they
actually grind.
These facts do not apply to tho
country miller. who buys his grain
almost from day to day. But they do
apply most forcibly to the great mill
ing and elevator interests which are
always well in control Of the visible
supply. because they own it, in the
main, aside from what the government
still retains.
Local Flour Prices
The Richmond millers are charging
the groeers $13 per barrel for patent
flour today, in the ordinary cotton
sacks. And they maintain, too, that
at the present price of good milling
wheat they are not asking cent too
much. 1t Is further stated that some
nearby Ohio millers are getting 1920
for flour today, which Is not unlikely.
II something is not done to check the
speculative advance in wheat there
really is no telling how high prices
may go. and this seems to be the idea
Of Julius H. Barnes, Federal wheat
director. and president of the Food
Administration Grain Corporation at
Washington. This is the department
having one billion of dollars to its
credit with which to finance the COM
ing crop.
Mr.. Barnes Gives Warning.
Administrator Barnes has given the
spectators three different warnings
of late. He announced some weeks
ago that the exports of wheat and
flour to neutral countries had been
discontinued for time to relieve the
strain on the American market. He