Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-11-02
FARMER BILL"
HAS unique PLAN
Proposes Wheat Grading for Relief
of Farmers-Would Stabilize
Market if Adopted

William ID. Parkhurst, known over
the state of Idaho as Farmer Bill"
was in Mountain Home Saturday of
last week and made this Office
pleasant call Mr.. Parkhurst is
thinker. and he believes the farmers
of the United States will get no.
where by following what is known
as cooperative marketing and like
schemes. He has evolved a plan
which he believes will work, at least
for wheat and it is well known that
the prices of other cereals are gov
erned by this commodity. AS print
ed in the Capital News some time
ago, the plan is;
There is much agitation these
days as TO what congress may or
may not do to help the wheat
farmer, but with all of their wisdom
they fall back on the old sterotyped
answer, supply and demand, or CO.
operative marketing.
"The government has said that
eight hours shall constitute a days
work, which of course means over
time and larger wages for labor.
They have said to the railroads: We
will permit you TO make per cent
ON your investment, thus enabling
the railroads to pay labor a good
wage. The railroad board and inter
state commerce commission have
raised freight rates to meet the adj
vance in wages. Had It not been for
the farm bloc in congress the gov
ernment would have put up millions
Of dollars for a ship subsidy graft.
Yet when conditions warrant the
government in taking some action
that might relieve agriculture these
same people throw up their hands
in holy terror and say that the gov
ernment must not go into business.
Il have been looking for a solution
of the wheat market and offer here
a plan by which the government can
help the wheat market not only for
this year but for the future as well,
and not go into the wheat business
either.
Proposed Plan
Congress can, from a pure food
standpoint, grade wheat for human
consumption. Let congress establish
three grades of wheat only; first, sec
ond and third, all wheat testing 60
N better grade No. 1 all wheat test
ing from So to 60, No. 2, and all
wheat testing below 5S, as grade No.
3. Then let the government provide
that all food products made from
-four, and used by the army and
navy, or any government institution,
shall be bought only from flour made
from No. / wheat; penaliZe all MILL
ers and food manufacturers from u.s.
ing any wheat testing below 5S, or
grade 3, in food used for human con-
Also a heavy fine for the
or mixing of wheat testing
No 1 with wheat testing No. for
the purpose of making the whole
mixhre a No. / grade.
Demonstrations at many of the
agricultural colleges has proven that
wheat as a food for hogs is equal
if not better than corn, hence all
wheat testing below 5S, to be used
for animal food.
Lets see what the result would
be, / will quote Idaho reports taken
by the extension department: Win
Ter wheat, "a per cent tests No. 1 AZ
per cent, No. 2, and "a per cent, No.
3. White soft wheat, 25 per cent
.ests No. /; Sc per cent, No. 2, and
10 per cent, No. 8. AS near as we
,an arrive with such information as
we have on hand this will eliminate
% per cent or about 1S0,00O,00O
bushels which is about our surplus
n normal years.
Wheat fed to hogs will net the
armer S per bushel, with hogs sell
ng at 81 per cwt., and this is more
han No. / wheat is bringing the
armer today.
NOW, Mr.. Farmer, just peg this,
ou will hear a roar go up from every
interest that is speculating in wheat,
he millers, Chicago board of trade.
Vail Street, and your self-appointed
Eugene Meyer"