The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-11-04
Who Fixed the Wheat Prices?

The Kansas City Star seems to have scotched a
political story that threatened to have important
bearing on the coming campaign.
Since the war 1t has frequently been charged that
Herbert Hoover as food administrator fixed the price
Of wheat at $3.50, Thereby causing the farmer to
loss much money they otherwise would have made.
The Star reveals correspondence between its editor
and Harry A. Garfield president of Williams College,
who was head of President Wilson's fair price COM
mttee during the war. Dr. Garields letter tells the
whole story. It follows:
Williams College, Wiliamstown, Mass, Oct 1S-
$50 the Star: I in receipt of your letter Of Sept
&c. and am pleased to lay before you the facts with
regard to the determination of the price of the 1917
wheat crop.
GAS chairman of the commission appointed by
President Wilson to determine this price of wheat for
the 1917 crop, have carefully preserved the data upon
which the findings of the commission were based
am the more willing to reply to your letter in view
of the persistent msstatement that Secretary Hoover
determined the price. Mr. Hoover had absolutely
no part in this matter other than to urge upon Presi
dent Wilson that action must be taken to pro-
tect the American farmer
I'm order that this controversy should be settled
with fnality have laid the matter before the sur
vving farmer members of the fair price commission
Mr. Charles Barrett president of the Farmers
Union Mr.. L. j. Taber, master OF the National
Grange; Mr. E. D. Funk, at that time president of
the Corn Growers Association; Mr.. W. j. ShorthilI,
secretary of the farmers Cooperative Elevators Asso
citation.
These gentlemen welcomed the opportunity to sign
the attached statement in which I, together with
DR.. Taussig, the economist member, and Mr. Doak
who represented the Railway Brotherhoods, also
concur.
1.-THE occasion for the determination of fair price
arose from the fact that the Allied Governments had
consolidated their buying agencies into one hand and
through this buying power the surplus, con-
troed the price of American wheat the moment that
exports of the crop should begir, the allied buy
ing agencies considered they should not pay more
than $3.50 to $1.80 for American wheat They adj
vanced the argument that abundant wheat existed in
the Argentine and in Australia at prices ranging
from SIPS to $3.50 per bushel, and the further fact
that they had fixed the price to their own farmers
at about $1.8O bushel:-That the only reason for
purchasing American wheat was to free allied ships
from the long voyages to the southern hemisphere in
order that they might carry American troops and
they therefore did not consider that they should pay
in excess of these prices.
ut was solely to protect the American farmers
from this situation that Mr. Hoover presented to
President Wilson the necessity for action Presi-
dent Wilson appointed the commission directly under
himself, to determine the matter and the commission
ultimately determined $3.50 at Chicago as fair price
The Congress had fixed the price for the 1918 crop at
20 cents less-tflat is, 81 per bushel
las will appear from the enclosed statement, Mr..
Hoover was not a member of the commission and took
no part in the deliberations or conclusions
attach hereto the signed names which I am
authorized to forward on behalf of the above men
toned gentlemen.
VERY truly yours
"H. A. GARFIELD"