The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-02-16
England Has In Force Whea,
Act Similar to Plan Of A..
lotment Measure
BY MILTON BRONNER

their wheat, or about $1.01 In Amer1.
can money at current exchange.
Forced to compete with vast i'm.
ports Of foreign wheat, needed to
make up for the inadequate produce
ton in a non-agricultural nation, the
English wheat-growing industry had
been depressed for years. Even the
British tariff and trade agreements
failed to aid 1t materially, so parlia-
ment, In q remarkable economic ex-
pertinent, passed the wheat act.
Parliament stated the objects in one
sentence: ITO establish q standard
price and q secure market for home
grown wheat Of millable quality"
Administration Of the wheat act Is
conducted by wheat commission Of
II members. On 1t are represented
growers, millers, importers, merchants
and consumers, including bakers.
The subsidy, or bonus, paid the
wheat grower comes ultimately from
the bread consumer because the pay
ments made by the millers and i'm
porters are undoubtedly added to the
price of flour and passed along.
STANDARD Price Set
The amount Of these deficiency
payments" that registered wheat
growers receive Is figured In this way:
A standard price for homegrown
wheat has been fixed by the gov
eminent at 10 shillings (normally
about $500 per 100 pounds, subject
to revision in 1885. To make this UNI
derstandablc to Americans, accustom-
ed to dealing with wheat in bushels, It
should be explained that q bushel Of
wheat weighs about 60 pounds.
The ministry Of agriculture cal
culates the average price received by
the growers during the cereal year.
The difference between this average
price and the 10-shilling standard
price Is the amount Of the bonus COL
!ected from the millers and importers
and paid to the wheat growers.
Thus, II the average market price
received by the wheat growers was
nine shillings per 100 pounds, the
wheat commission pays to the farmer
one shilling on each hundredweight
he sells. The farmer may sell to
whom he pleases and at whs tever
price he can get.
Bonus Pay Slides
AS limitation on bonus payments,
the maximum estimate allowed for
homegrown wheat. less that retained
for seed, Is 27,0O0,0 900 hundredweight.
This just about equals production In
the best crop years. II sales exceed
that figure. the bonus payment is
reduced proportionately. Thus, II the
estimated production is 10000 900 hum
dredweight and the actual quantity
sold Is 22.000, 900 hundredweight, the
bonus is reduced one-eleventh.
When . registered farmer sells his
wheat he must apply for wheat GER
tificate to an authorized merchant
appointed by the wheat commission.
The grower fills In the amount of
the bonus claimed, which Is. the DIFF.
ference between the average price fix.
ed by the wheat commission and the
governments standard price. These
certificates are cashed by the wheat
commission.
In certain cases the grower may
obtain advance payments. but ordin-
arily the payment Of the bonus is not
due until the end Of the cereal year.
The wheat grower has q sure mar.
ket TOR his product since the law
makes It obligatory for q millers' buy.
Ing corporation to purchase home-
grown wheat upon order Of the agri-
culture minister. who acts when such
course Is recommended by the wheat
commission. Provision is made for
arbitration Of disputes as to the price
or quality.
At first the fee the flour millers
and importers had to pay into the
wheat commissions fund was about
S. cents on every 200-pound sack Of
flour. When this proved inadequate
the fee was raised to s. cents. SO
far the plan has proved successful
and the wheat commission anticipates
that In 1883 greater acreage will
oe devoted to homegrown wheat.
Agencies Sell Hops
British hop growers, faced by ruin.
Gus prices, have met their problem in
a different manner, through q central
Selllng agency.
In 1881, parliament passed an agri-
cultural marketing act, the basis Of
which was that In any particular line
OF agriculture the growers themselves
might formulate q plan for better
marketing and get government sup
port. The depressed hop growers
were first to take advantage of this
offer. For years brewers had played
them against foreign hop growers,
often leaving the British grower with
70 profit or q large amount Of un.
sold hops on their hands.
Under the plan voted by majority
OF the growers hop marketing board
handles all sales. The board must
accept all homegrown hops offered
and seek q market for them. The
sales proceeds are allocated among
growers according to the estimated
value Of hops turned In.
The board sells the hops through
factors. or sales agents. The factors
sell to merchants ct Q standard price
fixed by the board. Once q merchant
has bought the hops he may sell
them to the brewers for whatever
price no can get. A high tariff on
foreign hops. plus IN active Buy
FOR BuRAS