Omaha daily bee., 1920-10-29
Miners' Chief Attacks
Wilson Administration
Milling Industry
Nearly Killedby
Democrats Work
Farmers Also Hard Hit as Liv.
erpool Fixes Prices of Wheat
So That They Are in Hands
of British.

lineage, OCt. <S.-- mere are TWO
great markets for the American
farmers wheat, the American flour
mills and the export business which
centers in Liverpool. By action OF
the Wilson administration, the
81 American flour mills have been put
out OF business. as far as the export
of flour is concerned. That leaves
the Liverpool wheat market the
great power in handling wheat and
fixing wheat prices, and the wheat
at Liverpool is in the hands of a
British government commission. In
other words, the Wilson admiflis-
tratiom has left the American farm-
er at the mercy of the British gov
ernment.
The situation was explained to-
day, as follows, by A. z. Husband,
secretary OF thsNir,llecs' national fed
Grafton III Chicago:
The action of President Wilson's
shipping board IN discriminating by
its freight rates against the exporta-
ton OF American flour, has placed
the national administration in the
position of working hand in hand
with the British royal commission
against the best interests of the
American wheat raiser and the mill
ing industry of the United States on
which the farmer is dependent for
the sale of his produce.
The price Of wheat in the United
States is i'll reality fixed in Liver
pool and to Liverpool goes Ameri-
can wheat at price fixed by the
British. Consequently American
farmers have lost approximately 90
cents bushcl Npn their wheat DUR
1ang the last few weeks. owing to the
decline in the price, moreover, ap-
proximately 100000 tous of mill
teed is lost to American dairymen
because OF the expectation of wheat
instead of flour, making it possible
for European dairymen to make
their products at cost below that
Of American producers, as evidencedY
by the recent arrival in this country
of butter from Denmark at price
below the American market.
For many years before the war
the expectation of -four was about
equal to that of wheat. AS far
back as 1880 40 per cent of the total
export Eof wheat was in the form OF
-four. The percentage varied, ac-
cording to the world crop condi-
tions in different years.
During the war ocean rates were
controlled by governmental agen-
cies and the demand for -four was
so great that the>rates were not a
serious consideration. AS long as
the United States grain corporation
operated expectation of flour con-
tinued, But as it went out of exist
ence the shipping board permitted
the United States merchant marine
to carry millions OF bushels of |
wheat to Europe and on June IA of |
this year decided the rate for -four |
at Is cents per 100 above that for
wheat was justified" This means
discrimination, in ocean rates OF |
so cents per barrel against -four.
This Discrimination in ocean
rates against -four practically kills |
the export flour business, except in
limited quantities. The expectation
OF flour In 1919 totalled 26,0O0,0OO |
barrels, Now it amounts to practi-
cally nothing and the United States
shipping board by surrendering to
the British royal commission is per-
hitting British millers to buy wheat
in this country at practically the
price fixed by Great Britain and to
take away from the United States
the -four markets of Europe.
The expectation of wheat from
the single port OF New Orleans in
July, August and September of this
year totalled more than the whole
annual expectation from that port
in normal years. Yet, with all this
wheat going across the seas from
New Orleans, only eight barrels OF
-four were in the cargoes in Sep
tember.