The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-09-23
The Firht for So Wheat

--OA--0 anu 1A4SSouEl met N q TWO days
conference in Kansas City on Sept. ID
and 14th and issued ringing appeal
to every farmer who has not yet sold
his wheat, to hold the same until the
terminal market price reaches So per
busheI on No. 2 wheat-and this ap-
peal 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
10 years yield the Executive Commit
tee estimates that it 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
Committee regards the recent smash
ing of the market as one of the great
est outrages in the history Of the
American grain pit. Furthermore,
the readers of the organized farmers
believe that if the spectators succeed
in stating the wheat crop they viii be-
gin a similar raid almost imediately
on corn, hogs and cattle. Therefore
they say that there are millions Of
dollars involved in the wheat situa-
ton which do not appear on the sur
face.
In commenting on the wheat
Fight" William Hirth, Publisher of
THE MISSOURI FARMER at Colum-
bia, Mo-, and a member of the Execu-
tive Committee, gave out the follow
ing statement: "The effort to steal
the 1920 wheat crop is an infamy
made possible only through the re-
sumption Of 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 sell-and if Europe
buys every bushel we can spare she
will still be more than 10O,000,000
bushels short What the spectators
intend to do is to first force US to sell
our wheat for about half what it is
worth-and then to make similar
raid against cron, hogs and cattle in
order, as they are already beginning
to say, 'tto bring them into line with
wheat" This is what one of the big
Chicago Packers meant the other day
when he talked about Use per bushel
for the present corn crop.
But if 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 lickinug they ever got in
their lives. I say this because the big
terminal Elevators are empty. In
Kansas City for instance, less than
1919 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 a few weeks supply
on hand. And this means that thou
sands Of farmers have already made
up their minds to hold out for de-
cent price. What we need to do now
is to pass the word to hold for SO
wheat down the line in every wheat
producing community in the Country
and if farmers generally will join
in this endeavor we will have the
spectators on their knees in less than
so dyas because if we tighten up still
harder on the flow to the terminals
the time is not far off when the big
-four mills and the foreign buyers will
be bidding against each other for
every car that reaches the market.
10 oT6C oil
hands if for once in our lives we will
stand pat. If farmer who has wheat
to sell is in tight place for money,
let him sell only enough to tide over
the emergency. In Kansas it is esti-
mated there are still 100,0OO,00O
bushels Of wheat on the farms and
the great statewide mass meeting
which convened at Salina on Sept.
18th sent the militant shout, eve will
hold for So wheat" into every nook
and corner Of the Sunhower state
And remember that if they steal our
wheat they will also smash the price
Of corn, hogs and catle-that we are
confronted by the gravest emergency
IA Vic AA1SIOAS VI S14C 4eS1A1l anu II1c1G we
have no choice but to force 'tshow-
down" against those who pay the
farmer what they please for the fruits
of his toll while on the other hand
they compel US to pay an extortionate
price for everything we buy. Our
Executive Committee asks that every
township in the Grain Belt be organ
ICED on this wheat fight-that farmers
who have wheat to sell will immediate
~ get in touch with their neighbors,
hold mass meeting and pledge every
man TO hold for So at the terminal
markets. A compact organization of
growers and an Executive Committee
OF three strong men should be select
ed in every township and this Com
mittee should find out how much
wheat still remains unsold in such
township and how many farmers will
agree to hold for the above price for