The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-11-03
DISCRIMINATION
in RATE AGAINST
AMERICAN FARMER
British Control Price Fix.
ing and u. S. Loses
Export

CHlCAGO.-Inere are TWO great
markets for the American farmers
wheat-the American -four mills and
the export business which centres in
Liverpool. By action of the Wilson
Administration the American flour
mills have been put out of business,
as far as the export of -four is con-
cerned. That leaves the Liverpool
wheat market the great power in
handling wheat and fixing wheat
prices, and wheat in Liverpool is in
the LANDS of British Government
commission. In other words, the Will
son Administration has left the
American farmer at the mercy of the
British Government.
The situation was explained today
as follows by A. p. Husband, secre-
sary of the Millers' National Fedora
ton, i'll Chicago.
THE action of President Wilson's
shipping board in discriminating by
it's freight rates against the exporta-
ton of American ;l0ur, fas placed
tn, national administration in the
position of working hand in hand
with the British Royal Commission
against the best inlert SITS OF the
milling industry of the United States
on which the farmer is dependant
for the sale of his product. The price
of wheat in the United States is in
reality fixed in Liverpool, and to
Liverpool goes American wheat at a
price fixed by the British. Conse-
quently American farmers have lost
+n1 mir hnChnl
on their wheat during the last few
weeks, owing to the decline In the
price. Moreover, approximately one
million tons of mill feed is lost to
American dairymen because of the
expectation of wheat in -four, making
it possible for European dairymen
to make their products at cost be-
low that of American producers, as
evidenced by the recent arrival in
this country of butter from Denmark
at a price below the American mar
ket.
"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 ex-
port of wheat was in the form OF
-four The percentage varied accord
ing to the world crop conditions in
different years.
During the war ocean rates were
controlled by Government agencies
and the demand for -four was SO
great that the rates were not a SER
iOus consideration. AS long as the
United States Grain Corporation OPP
40 of AnIlr nnnti nI1n6
but as soon as it went out OF ex-
istence 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 flour at
rs cents a hundred above that for
wheat was justified This means a
discrimination in ocean rates of SO
cents a barrel against flour.
"This discrimination in ocean rates
against -four practically kills the eX-
port -four business except in limited
quantities. The expectation Of flour
in 1919, totalled 26,0OO,O0O barrels.
Now it amounts to practically moth
ing, and the United States shipping
board, by surrendering to the British
Royal commission, is permitting
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 mar
kets of Europe.
1.-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 Or
leans only eight barrels of flour were
in the cargoes in September"