Evening star., 1923-04-20

There Is reason for rejoicing by
both the farmer and the bread-eater
Uncluding the farmer as a bread-
eater) in the decision Of the Supreme
Court unfolding the law to stop
gambling in grain. There can never
be any benefit to the public in the
grain gambling of the chambers OF
commerce and boards OF trade or
whatever other name the speculators
assume. The traders often buy and sell
hundreds of times more grain" than
the farmers have raised, for the sales
on change have no bearing upon the
amount Of grain in existence. me
same carload of grain may be bought
and sold fifty times in single day, or
no grain at all figure in the future de-
livery" sales.
The result of this speculation is to
annihilate the supply and demand for
actual grain as factor In hxing
price, and SO the farmer is not only
fighting the uncertainties OF nature
in undertaking to raise a crop, but
still more the uncertainties OF the
speculative market as to the price he
will receive for his years toll
The pretense that it Is beneficial
to the farmers that the dealers" shall
be permitted to 'iheGge" is proved
clearly a false pretense TO 1usuly
gambling. If the gamblers must bet,
they would do far less harm to the
honest producer IL they would base
their bets on the weather. and let
the crops mature without their med
ding with supply and demand
K X X x
. 1t has been a long and discouraging
fight to get the legislation through
Congress and the Supreme Court but
the victory at last will go far toward
encouraging the grain raisers. 1t
will tend to clear the boards or trade
Of the class of dealers who have never
added to their efficiency in handling
actual grain, and the functions of the
sembIe those Of the stockyards. in
serving as a gateway between pro-
ducers and consumers. II puts the
Secretary OF Agriculture In control oil
the market methods.
There will be a shrinkage OF sales
which will strike terror into the heart
of the observer who may not know
that of the 100 per cent daily sales at
least 90 were mere wind" and 1 per
cent the real grain.
When il is realized that the 100000
visiting Shriners who are expected 10
be in Washington during the first
week Of June amount to one-fourth
the number of soldiers of the Ameri-
can expeditionary forces, the prob
lem of their transportation from all
parts of the continent VIII be appre-
ciated. Has there ever been such
gathering in the history of the
country The probable number in
creases as the time approaches. The
problems of housing and feeding such
an army for a week. in city of
100000 population. is a gigantic one,
but It is being handled in advance
by most systematic methods
All citizens are urged to buy Their
own food supplies in advance, and ali
comfortable homes may be called
upon to open their doors for lodgeTs.
There are many Of the local com-
mittees here who have had Army ex-
or emergency conditions.
The prudent visitor, whether COM
ing by railroad train or by automo-
bile. will flnd it to his advantage to
se9sfns se setslea add bafere the rush be
gins.
If the parents Of Washington school
children were raising hogs, instead
of just children. and the expert should
discover that the hogs were being
underfed and were being maltreated
by racing down the lanes. instead of
being we'll fed and given normal rest.
what would happen? They would