The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1924-01-17
FIXING OF WHEAT
PRICE HoPELEss9'
CONTINUED from page l

G. class. The other objections advanced
= by our biggest men opposed to 1t, sen
I ators and representatives, are that
other commodities, manufactured
goods, would advance accordingly ano
the farmer would not after all beneflt
u by it. There is not an ounce OF souna
, reasoning in such flimsy argument.
There is no occasion for manufactured
J. goods to go soaring just because the
] farmer should receive small prof1t
= in his investment in wheat growing.
First on an average family of four
persons the additional cost of flour I'M
der a price of about dollar and fifty
cents per bushel, as that would be
about what the farmer would get un-
der dollar and seventy-fiye cent
government price, would not amount
to an excess of twelve dollars per year.
Manufactured goods are soaring
skyward; labor up to war prices; COST
of producing bushel of wheat almost
back to war prices. Where are the
farmers getting off Wheat at q
standstill at less than the cost of pro-
duction. 1t would certainly look rea
sonable that we had better take a
chance on a price that returns cost
plus reasonable margin of profit.
even if other commodities raise in
price, then too, if wheat is such a
stable commodity that it regulates the
/ price of all other commodities, so that
when wheat should be at such price
as would be profitable to the grower.
all other commodities unjustly raise
in price to such an extent that it
forces the wheat grower back into
bankruptcy.
Is it not high time that the govern
ment was taking action in the matter
of wheat price so as to stabilize bust
ness generally9 The powers that have
the right to say what the farmers
shall take for a bushel of wheat, who
dictate to the railroads what they may
or may not charge, surely has the
same right to say to the big manufac
turing concerns that you shall have on
ly a reasonable return on your invest
ment.
Congress has wrangled for a year on
farmers relief, put into operation an
agriculture loan bank, but as usual of
no benefit to the average farmer, as
this money must be handled through
banks or cooperating associations. The
banks do not want it as seven per cent
interest is not so attractive as ten per
cent, which they charge on their own
loans.
Meyer and Mondell have returned
after their investigation of farm con
ditions and they have no remedy TO
offer unless it is favoring more the
cooperative plan of marketing. They
stated as for price-fixing, there seem
ed to be more opposed than in favor
of it. / do not wonder, for it seems
the only class they met with were the
representatives of the cooperative
movement and the heads of some farm
organizations. If they had come out
and called mass meetings of the real
wheat growers they would have found
decidedly different views. The pro-
position of government price-fixing is
not so unsound as they would have us
believe. On wheat that we consume
ourselves the government would have
absolute control and need mot lose
penny. We have around two hun
bred million bushels for export. On
this the government might have to
take slight loss, yet it is very doubt
wul under government export if there
would be loss at all. 1t was thought
by some of our supposed best grain
dealers that the government would
sustain a loss of wheat at the last
year OF government fixed price during
the war, and if my memory serves me
right bill was introduced in congress
to the effect that the government sell
at one fifty per bushel and take a di-
rect loss of the difference between
two thirty and one fifty cents per
bushel However, the government dis
posed of all its surplus wheat at a |
good price and cleaned up round sum
of between fifty and seventy-five mil
hon in the deal; profits on the farm.
er's wheat that he sold the govern
ment below cost.
fixed price on wheat IN the On
tied States would be certain to reflect
in other exporting countries to the ex-
tent that it would have the tendency
to raise prices in other countries to
near our own level.
| noticed an article in the Spokes- |
man-Review of November 30th, by
David Lawrence, specIa1 correspond
ent, in which he said that indications
are that President Coolidge will bid
for farmers votes. Refusing Henry