San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-30
|IRhREL|EF
|R0M NATION
NOT IN SIGHT.
yernment Can Do Little
3 Boost Wheat Price,
Is Belief.
ODD SITUATION EXISTS
Administration Has Moth
ing Definite to Propose
at Present.
ODD SITUATION EXISTS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

49,
<C4pUrixht. by The San Antonio Light.
Washington, ID. C., Sept. 29.-Farn
<11fef, 80 far as government appropria
IN Of funds or any other form o.
4 4{rect or indirect subsidy, is not goin.
- b granted.
Gestures of aid and sympathy vii
she made, but at bottom most govern
ment officials are convinced that Their,
Sc little they can do to boost the price
uf wheat.
The committee of bankers from tn,
wheat growing states, comprising tn,
ninth federal district, are in confer
ence today with the directors Of the
War Finance Corporation.
They had their talk with President
Coolidge Thursday.
They did not argue for any specific
proposal, but urged in general that the
government do something to improve
the position of the wheat growing
farmers.
For one thing, the government is sat
isfied that it has done all that it can
possibly do in the way of extending
credits.
More money has been lent by the
War Finance Corporation to the
wheat growing states than has been
given in proportion to other parts OF
the country.
New facilities of credit have been
opened up by new legislation at the
last session of Congress.
What then remains?
Farmers Are Willing.
The farmers would like the govern
ment to handle the crop for export
somewhat as it did during the war.
The claim is that the government
made $50.000,000 through its wheat
operation in connection with the war
and that this sum might be used as a
revolving fund.
But the question asked in Washing
ton is whether the farmers want the
government to go into the export bust
ness and take loss, for if the world
price of wheat is down the govern
ment will be unable to sell its wheat
at any higher prices than could the
farmers themselves.
America is no longer in the posi-
ton of debating to foreign countries
what the price of wheat shall be as
other parts of the world have come
into production.
The United States is at the mercy
of a worldwide situation.
Canada, for instance, with crop
of 100000 bushels of wheat to ex-
port, is compelled to take the same
price for her product as America with
her approximate surplus of 10000, 600
TO 100,000,000 bushels.
Officials point out that the price of
wheat is higher today than it was a
year ago and that prices are bound to
rise still further.
Europe Buys Carefully.
Europe is buying from hand to
mouth and currencies abroad are
huctuating due to unstable political
and economic conditions.
The settlement of the war in the
Ruhr is confidently counted on here
to improve the situation through the
natural benefit that will accrue to the
purchasing power Of all Europe unless
OF course revolution develops in Ger
many and destroys the value of the
German surrender to France.
No special session of Congress is in
the offing because the administration
hasn't anything to propose that can
be assured by legislation.
Secretary Wallace of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, Secretary Hoog-
er, Eugene Meyer of the War Finance
Corporation, and all the men in the
government who know anything about
the farm situation, are straining hard
10 find some solution that will help
the farmer.
The political power Of the farm
bloc 10 appreciated.
The administration wants DO appear
as sympathetic and helpful as pos
sible.
If the farmers want TO restrict
wheat to the American market, they
must get rid of the surplus somehow
or else get protected price.
There is little doubt that western
ssenators and members of the House
twill come back here with proposals
tp have the government finance the
Wheat crop, but on the face of things
to-day the proposal will not get admin
istfation backing.
The hope here is that conditions
viii show material improvement when
Congress reconvenes and that the nat
ur4l laws of economies will cure the
difficulty.