The state herald., 1920-10-05
Farmers Want More For Wheat; Set Price
of Three Dollars for Number Two Wheat

tThe article below is clipped from
II Hastings. Nebraska paper and is
published by request.-E Editor.)
Representatives OF the organized
farmers of Kansas, Nebraska, Okla.
homa and Missouri met in two DAYS
conference in Kansas City on Sept.
18th and 14th and issued q ringing an.
peal to every farmer who has not
yet sold his wheat to hold the same
until the terminal market price
reaches So. per bushel on No. 2
wheat-and this appeal is made not
only to the farmers OF the above
states but to those of every other
wheat producing state In the Union.
On the basis of the last ten years
yield the Executive Committee es.
Inmates that 1t cost $2.77 per bushel
to produce the 1920 crop, and in view
Of the fact that Europe needs every
bushel the U. S. can spare the Com.
mittee regards the secret Bmashing
of the market as one of the greatest
outrages in the history of the Ameri.
can grain pit. Furthermore, the lead.
ers of the organized farmers believe
that II the spectators succeed in
stealing the wheat crop they will be-
gin similar raid almost Immediate
~ on corn, hogs and cattle. Therefore
they say that there are millions of
dollars involved in the wheat situa-
tion which do not appear on the sur
face
In commenting on the wheat
fight" William Hirth, publisher of
the Missouri Farmer at Columbia.
Missouri, and member of the
executive committee gavc out the
following statement: THE effort to
steal the 1920 wheat crop is an in.
fanny made possible through the re-
sumption in dealing In futures on
/ the various boards of trade. The u.
S. and Canada are the only countries
in the world that have a real surplus
| Of good wheat to seil-and II Europe
buys every bushel we can spare she
will still be more than 100, 900 900
bushels short. What the spectators
intend to do is to force us to sell our
wheat for about half what 1t is worth
and then make similar raid
against corn. hogs and cattle in order,
as they are already beginning TO
say, ito bring them into line with
wheat This is what one OF the big
Chicago packers meant the other day
when he talked about 75c per bushel
for the present corn crop.
But II those farmers who have not
yet sold their wheat will stand pat
for SO per bushel at the terminal mar.
kets we will give the manipulators
the worst licking they ever got In
their lives. I say this because the
big terminal elevators are empty. In
Kansas City for instance less than 10
per cent Of the available elevator
space Is filled with wheat. and the
same is true at practically all other
great terminal markets. Hundreds
Of big mills have only few weeks
supply on hand. And this means that
thousands OF farmers have already
made up their minds to hoid out for
q decent price.
What we need to do is to pass
the word to hold for 81 wheat down
the line in every wheat producing
community in the country-and II
farmers generally will Join in this
'ndeavor we win have the specula-
tors on their knees in less than so
lays. because II we tighten up still
',arder on the fow to the terminals
he time is not far off when the big
flour mills and the foreign buyers
VIII be bidding against each other