Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-12-15
OLSON WANTS s FROM:
CORfFEID Pf2lEO 60FfIER

Cornfleld PHILOSOPHER takes
exception to my comments on
part Of his recent Observa-
tons" and from the caption
placed over his exceptions ii
would seem that tlle editor Is
willing to give space to further
discussion. y. IS .s:s =
While I have neither the
time nor the inclina tions to en-
ter into a sprotra cted nAwspa-
per discussion, Philosopher
seems to anticipates such great
pleasure in ;jolting me Il with
statistics, it would hardly be
right not to afford him the op-
,portunity of: realizing his COW
eted pleasure. st. 3
Reverting back to>the para
graph on which ! commented,
Philosopher lays particular
stress on the profits desired by
millers. He cansleave that en-
tirely out of consideration as
|it is immaterial so far as my
comments on the paragraph
quoted were, concerned. The
quotation in question plainly
and distinctly gave the impress
sion that by an act Of Congress
the price: of the farmers wheat
was fixed, but that no restric-
tons were placed on the price
of flour and millfeeds, intimat-
ing that: there was discrimina-
ton against the farmers and
in favor of the millers. That
statement is both deceiving
and misleading, in spite of
Philosophers saying that he
has no occasion or need to
either deceive OF mislead. He
then offers to jolt me. with
some statistics sworn to by big
milling companies. Whether
those statistics will jolt me or
not is of no consequence, but
since he seems SO anxious to-
use them he should be given
the opportunity, and in. so do
ing should present them in such
a way that they will relate to
the quotation from "Observa-
tions'' on which I commented.
Assuming that some Of the big
mills to which he refers made
large profits, the real test as
to whether they were unjusti-
fable would be their unit re-
.lation to the total, j. e., the net
profit per barrel Of flour, and
the percentage of profit on the
volume of business: or sales If
Philosopher will quote his stat
isticss on. that basis they will be
understandable and have q
bearing on the question at is
sue, but if he merely wishes to
quote statistics showing that
certain milling companies
made profits of SO many thou
sands of dollars they will be
meaningless. Isswould remind
him tho, if he contemplates
quoting income tax returns,
that income and excess profits
taxes are not deductible in
making the returns, but that
they certainly do reduce in
comes; also that some: mills
made refunds to the Food Ad-
ministration for the period in
question. To get the net pro-
fits he should then deduct in
come and excess profits taxes
and refunds to the Food Ad-
ADMINISTRATION before he can de.
termine the net profits per
barrel: I would infer that he
intends to quote figures touch
ing only certain big mills, and
as I might have occasion to
doubt the automatically of his
figures he should make partic.
ular reference to the mills SO
that, if necessary the figures
can be verified. I would fur
] herremind Phil her that il
he is coming with statistics per-
tanning to the milling industry,
there are over seven thousand
mills in the United States, SC
he can hardly confine them to
q few big milling companies in
taking exception to my com.
/ ments on the paragraph quot
led. -. .....-.= Ill., = - III
~ therefore reiterate thai
/ there was no discriminate q.
against the farmer4 as to The
/ pricezsof wheat, and that the
] prices of -four and milf eeds
were not allowed to soar t.
any height, but that on the
contrary the. farmers were pro.
| tected by q minimum, .guaran
4 teed price on ! wheat, and thu
consumers were protected b5
regulations making the price
II - h. n q 5 . -