Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1921-12-14
PRICE REIMBURSEMENT
AT STANDSTILL, FARM
FEDERATION ASSERTS
Average Commodity Cost Higher Than
In June, With Agricultural Pro
ducts Still Failing

Price reimbursement is at stand.
still, with the products of the farm
left at a disastrous disadvantage in
relative purchasing power, the Mime
sofa Farm Bureau federation said to-
day in statement analysing the trend
of prices. +. =: /, - x. ;.
The statement was based on the
wholesale price index prepared by the
federal bureau Of labor statistics. and
data gathered by the research depart
ment Of the aAGonal farm bureau or
ganization -
Reconstruction is falling to recon
struct the purchasing power Of the
farmers products" the state farm bu-
reau declared. '"The record of COM
modify prices since April indicates
that the decline in prices has almost
spent itself, although a comparison Of
levels in September and October shows
that the farm product and food groups
including many commodities just as
they come from the farm, are still
falling.
"The prices Of the necessities of life
appear to be marking time, with the
great agricultural population still un-
der handicap so serious that it's buy
ing power is not recovering. 1t must
recover before the real revival of in
dustry and business can take place.
The farm bureau statement quoted
figures of the bureau of labor statis-
tics to show that since June, 1921,
the average price level of all COM
mOdities has risen, instead of declin-
ing.
Taking the 1918 price level as 100,
the level in June, 1921, stood at 14S,
having declined from 1T since Janu-
airy. But in October, the level had
risen again to $50. This development
might be taken as an indication that
the price level can be expected to re-
main considerably above the 1913
level
1From the standpoint of the farm
er, the fact remains that no definite
improvement has been made during
the last several months toward accom-
plishing more equitable exchange re-
lation between his products and those
which he must purchase. .s.
1.-THE farm products group, as list
ed by the federal bureau Of labor sta
tistics, was three points lower in Oc-
tober than it was in September, and
the food group had declined four
points. In the same period, clothing
had advanced three points, fuel and
lighting had gone up four points, met
:als had advanced one point and chem
icals had remained at their Septem-
Der price level. -
"To offset the continued deflatiOn of
farm products. there was only a one
percent decline in building materials,
which stand next to the highest in
THE list Of commodity prices after
many months of tdeflation,' and a de-
cline of five percent in house furnish
ings, whose price level is so high that
this small drop is insignificant
EARN products, food and metals
were the only commodity groups
whose price level was lower than the
general price average for all commo-
dities in October, the statement con-
tinued, pointing out that farm pro
ducts stood at the foot of the list, 81
points below the average price of ali
commodities. "
There can be but one conclusion
from such data" the federation con-
cluded. mo substantial improvement
can be effected in industrial conditions
until the prices Of the commodities
which the farmer must purchase have
been sufficiently debated"