The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1923-12-06
mar GROWERS LEGISLATION
=, plan for Farmers Relief Soon
:, brought Before Congress
with Strong Backing.

,,;ons in the wheat industry vii
.he front during the session Of
o.noress which opened Monday, ano
!. most discussed among the many
-. 10 increase wheat prices is the
..vam advocated by the American
ansst Growers Associated. This or
..;,ation is the sales agency for nine
t,te wheat growers associations, and
,ipgs to the support of its proposal
,se united strength of the more than
a0O members of these state organ
cations.
The American: Wheat Growers Asso-
.,ted advocates the creation of AN ag
smtaral export commission consist
,s Of the secretary of the treasury.
ne secretary of commerce and the sec
stary of agriculture, who would be
,ssirman. The commission would
have power to levy a tax upon all the
sleable wheat produced in the United
States. The fund thus created would
ben be applied as premium on thai
vOrton of the wheat crop which is
sold for export. masmuch as the ex
BORT portion of the crop is less than
one.fourth of the total production, the
bashelage tax collected would be in
reased four-fold when applied as a
premium on the export wheat.
Through the addition of this prem
mm to the export price, according to
Ibe American Wheat Growers Associa
ted, the domestic price paid for the
hreequaters of the United States crop
which is consumed in this country
would be increased like amount. The |
marketing organization declares that I
domistic buyers of wheat would be for
sed to increase their prices to compete
With the world Is price plus the amount
! Of the premium, thus creating a gen
! ual large increase over the going in
Irrational markets.
"Take the present price condition
! s an example to see how this plan
would work, :" said George G. Jewett-
general manager of the American
Wheat Growers Associated. From the
present crop we have approximately
0O,000,000 bushels of saseable wheat
that portion which leaves the farm.
"A tax of seven cents a bushel, or $49, !
100000 would be assessed against this
amount of grain. Then the fund would
be applied as premium to the avail
able price which could be secured for (;
The portion which we export, approx /
mately b0,000,000 bushels. This would
add about 80 cents a bushel to the
pice received for the export wheat.
The result would be that the
mount thus added to the export price !
Eould also place the domestic price 30
'ents bushel above the present !.
'orld s level. The enhanced price foi
xport wheat would have to be met !.
those desiring to purchase domestic
heat. The returns to the farmer !.
hen, would be 30 cents a bushel above +,
ie price he is now receiving, and
'om this would have to be deducted
'e seyen-cent tax, leaving him net
lin of 90 cents bushel through the
'eration of the export commission
In considering this plan it must be !
derstood that because of the fact
at--we have a considerable surplus to
spose of ON worlds markets, our do
lstic prices are definitely limited by
Ose obtaining outside the country p
neriean wheat growers are not able
increase the world 3 level of prices,
this plan in reality amounts to the
,itrary addition of about 80 cents
,hel to the Liverpool wheat prices.
domestic prices, of course, would
rease correspondingly.' %
he tax, according to the plan OF p
marketing organization, would be 7
Iected by the government through v
lroad channels and through certif'- "
mill reports on wheat delivered dl- ie
tly to mills by farmers. Export o
,miums would be applied on an .
nitable basis on flour milled in tins n
nntry from United States wheat and W
en- exported f"
The tax and premium would be SUD :
ct to revision by the commission
ON year to year depending upon the
obable amount of the surplus and
e worlds price range, but always so1 q
xed that the actual return to the j
Irmers would be maintained at q
nint equal in purchasing power per
ashel of wheat to the pre-war Vaiue
the commodity. The present tar
i would be increased to at least %
ents bushel to protect domestic
'arkets from the influx of foreign-
fown wheat.
Mr.. Jewett meets the argument that
aeh an increase in price would resui'
greatly increased production by the
iatement that the collection of the