Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-07-10

Considerable support Of the demand
of the Secretary of Agriculture. Mr..
Wallace, that increase in the price OF
bread be kept within reasonable limits
is indicated in the public discussion.
Dollar wheat is generally declared
beneficial to the country, but the Iowa
estimate Of 60 per cent rise in the
price of the bakers product IS Sharply
debated.
The administration fears. and the
fear appears justified" according to
the Rochester Times-Union, that II
prices to consumers jump ahead OF in
creases in the total wage payments. II
will not be possible to find an outlet
for enhanced production" The New
Orleans Times-Picayune comments:
The rise of prices on commodities IS
one of the symptoms Of economic re-
covery. But the hoist Of prices in an
ticipation of commodity price advances
or before the latter have been trans
lated into manufacturing costs and en-
larged purchasing power is not SO cas-
lily justified. On the contrary. it sa-
vors of speculative green. Secre-
tary Wallace's warning that it will not
be tolerated in the bread market prob
ably will be extended to the other COM
modify markets as the need develops"
The Butte Montana Standard holds
that with a better degree of prosper
ity for the farmer, one thing is sure
household costs are going to rise, and
we shall hear again in the land those
plaintive inquiries out of the past re-
garding the H C. Of L."
1t is estimated by the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram that 1.-The wheat proc
essing tax of 80 cents a bushel will
amount to .483 Of a cent for pound
loaf of bread" That paper commentsi
While the tax is to be collected from
the miller and other manufacturers
converting the wheat into the food
product, it, like all other similar taxes,
will be passed on to the consumer. But
the addition of less than half a cent
to each loaf of bread should not prove
onerous to the consumer Of small
means. The widespread benefits re-
sulting from the high price of wheat
under the Government plan should
more than outweigh this trivial in
crease. With the general improvement,
the condition of the consumer should
be bettered along with that of the
of bread should jump skyward in sue
ceeding months. it would be due to fac
tors other than the wheat processing
tax"
The Iowa incident" says the Hart
ford Times, shows that when wheat
goes up one cent pound, flour goes
up two and bread three" and that paper
advises that Uncle Sam will have to
be unusually alert and work overtime
If he is to keep his eye on price boost
ing" The Akron Beacon Journal goes
further, and, observing the crop condi-
tons. asks: why burden the public
with the added blight OF taxation?"
The Houston Chronicle argues that 1.-The
thing to do now Is to see that prices
do not get out Of line; that actual in
creases in costs of furnishing products
to the public are reflected in retail
prices, but that much and no more"
Announcing that "the bread question
has several aspects" the Topeka Daily
Capital suggests: 1.-THE Iowa bakers
were somewhat premature In announc
ing of1hand that they would raise the
price of bread from to 8 cents. Wal
lace reminds them that combinations in
restraint of trade are still unlawful
On the other hand, the price of wheat
has been on the up-curve for weeks.
Flour has about doubled in price. If
bakers have not yet raised the price OF
bread, they are entitled to put up the
is not the determining factor in the
cost of bread It constitutes a small
item in the cost of the loaf. This is
not true probably of old-fashioned
homemade bread, which, owing to
greatly altered social conditions is not
used by many American families"
ut is the theory Of the administration
plan of recovery as a whole" asserts the
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, that the
solution of the present problem lies In
Nttpg the p1le lsssla md ths. 1unsttn