Omaha daily bee., 1922-01-20
Set Prices
Are Urged
by Roberts
Plan Would Relieve Farmer,
Stabilize Economic Situation
and End Unemployment,
He Believes.
Invited to Conference


A government guaranteed mini
mum price on wheat and other iaril
commodities as a means OF relief TO
farmers and TO strengthen and make
firm the entire economic system pi
the country ss we'll as 10 relieve tn {.
present critical unemployment siiua-
ton. is strongly advocated by George
A. Roberts. Omaha grain man, who
has been invited TO attend the agr'-
cultural conference in Washington
next week.
"a government guaranteed price
or wheat. corn and other farm prod
ucts, would give the farmer a buying
lower which he hasn't got now," Mr.
Roberts said. with the rctun OF
the buying power TO the farmers.
who represent about 40 per cent CT
Our population, retailers would coni-
mence to move their goods, factories
would be called upon 10 turn out
more merchandise and those out Of
work would be given jobs.
when the government price was
taken off OF wheat following the war
the price slumpcd 81 in 90 days and
the whole agricultural machine was
wrecked. II instead OF taking this
price off the government still had
controlled the price and had con-
tinued handling it through the United
States Grain corporation and then
reduced the price. say 20 cents a
bushel each year fer five years, the
price could have been brought back
TO normal without running the farm
or. The government made money on
wheat during the time it was ham
ding it, and could have continued
making money. both for the grain
corporation and fer the farmer"
Would Fix Minimum.
According to a dispatch received
over a private wire from Chicago
oy Mr.. Roberts Wednesday, Senator
E. F. Ladd of North Dakota has in
troduced bill in the senate requir-
ing the federal government to- fix the
minimum price to be paid the farm
er for his commodities during the
next FIVE years. The following
prices are designated
Wheat, No. | northern spring, at
Chicago, sl.sO bushel; corn, No. 2,
at Chicago, IS cents a bushel; cotton,
middling spot, at New Orleans, ls
cents a pound; wool, unwashed, a.
Boston and st. Louis, S. cents
pound.
The measure provides for the res
toration of the grain corporation
which is directed to purchase the
farmers crops for the prices desig-
mated and sell them to domestic COR
suners at an advance on the puf-
chase prices sufficient to cover the
cost of handling, transportation and
insurance, storage and other charges,
and also to foreign manufacturers
and consumers. One billion dollars
is carried in the bill to be used as
:. revolving fund for the grain cor
poration. The bill has not yet re-
ceived the sanction of the farm bloc
in the senate, according to the mes
sage. If it does, it is said, one of
the bitterest fights Of the season i5
expected to ensue.
To Leave Saturday.
"Thc prices designated in Senator
Ladd's bill seem to me to be reason
able and fair, and would give the
farmer a guarantee that he could
bank on" Mr.. Roberts said Some
measure like. this must be put into
effect if the farmer, and incidentally
other lines of business, are to be
saved.
"The present system Of loaning
money to the farmers through the
war corporation benefits only about
10 per cent of the farmers, for the
reason that the other 90 per cent,
who need it just as badly, or even
worse, have not the proper collateral
to offer as security. We must have
some measure that will benefit 100
per cent of the farmers"
Mr.. Roberts farms some 5000
acres of land in Nebraska, besides
operating number of elevators and
dealing in grain. He has given
thoughtful study to the present agri-
cultural situation and will advance
his plans for improving farm prices
and assisting agriculture to return to
sound financial basis at the con-
terence next week. He will leave
Saturday night The conference will
open Monday.