Evening star., 1923-08-19


especially in the east, which
has prompted Representative
Allen T. Treadway of Massachusetts
TO urge that the President call spe-
cial session of Congress as soon
as possible. is matched by con-
cern throughout the west that the
wheat farmers may become discour-
duction. which would force up the
price of bread
Those who have been back trailing
'the President on his winning the
west" tour say that it was impressed
upon the presidential party that leg
tslation for the relief of the wheat
growers must soon be enacted. and
that a special session of Congress
could hasten greatly relief regarding
this basic food supply.
Certain il is that the west is as
deeply concerned over this matter as
the east about an anthracite coal
shortage. and this essential food crop
viii receive confederation by Con-
tiess promptly when it reassembles.
Increase IN Surplus.
II i" claimed that il now costs the
farmer "A dollar or more per buShel to
grow wheat, which he is compelled
to sell for 15 cents. As there are
the United States. on which the farm
or is losing a quarter of a dollar a
bushel. those behind this legislation
figure that the farmers will lose this
season S200.00o.000. If this is not
stopped there will be a tremendous
increase in wheat surplus and the
price of bread will go much higher.
Foreseeing this situation. Repre-
sentative Edward 6. Little of Kansas
prepared a bill last December which
-.
Agriculture to pay the farmer at his
own hometown elevator. a dollar a
hushel for wheat whenever it sold for
less. and to pay as high as s1.1o only
with the market price as 1t rose, but
to pay no more than that.
The theory of the bill is that the
other purchasers who want wheat
will pay as much as the government
does and that wheat will automati-
cally go up to a dollar or whatever
the government pays. The govern
ment, therefore. would not be called
on to buy much wheat. but the price
10 the farmer himself at home would
be a dollar a bushel, on up.
Too Late for Action.
Representative Martin Il. Madden of
Illinois. chairman OF the House APP
preparations committee. said that this
bill was Fundamentally sound. Rep
resentatiVe John q. Tilson. the Con-
means committee, made strong plea
before the house committee on agri-
culture urging its passage. The COM
mlttee on agriculture favorably re-
ported this Legislation to the House.
including a recommendation for 81 40
10 Sl.Jo buShel instead of 81 to S1.10
as originally suggested by Repre-
sentative Little. This bill. however.
got on the calendar too late for ac-
tion during the legislative jam at the
close of the last Congress
Quite number of the ablest men
in the House are behind this legis-
lation, which will he brought up
again as soon as Congress meets
Representative Little explains that
the basic price is intended to pay the
farmers costs. The amount that is
finally written into the bill will de-
pend on information availa BILE by the
time it come UP.
The bill provides for an appropria-
tion of 100000. 900, to be used by the
Department of Agriculture. and pro-
rldeS that as the department buys
wheat II shall store it in the eleva-
tors with warehouse receipts and
that the Treasury shall on that Sc
curity furnish the Department of
Agriculture with Treasury certificates
which shall be used to buy more
wheat. and shall be paid off as fast as
the wheat is sold. This will make
available total of about s150. 200. 600
on an appropriation of only $4,000
GOO. The best judges concede that the
probability is that the government
viii not have to buy much wheat. but
that the price will automatically take
care of itself. because the other buy
ers must have wheat.
Holding Cost Slight.
The bills friends suggest that if
the government does go ahead and
buy wheat it can be held at very
slight expense for storage and when
ever wheat gets up to s1.S5 in Chicago
or New York the Department of Ag-
riculture will be required to sell it's
wheat and furnish cheap -four and
break up any wheat pools and fancy
prices.
In the meantime the department
can sell wheat at the prices paid at