The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, September 6, 1917, Page 4

L] I ¥ £ WM/W/’.. w'.. : 4 “We must set a price on wheat that will be LIBERAL—one that will STIMULATE PRODUCTION"—Herbert Hoover three months ago. “The government will pay only $220 for wheat this year”—Decision of price-fixing commission last week. The cartoonist has drawn here a cartoon with a punch. Are we going to win the .war by setting a price for wheat that will bankrupt farmers and force the plow to lie idle? \ BIG FARMER MEETINGS Producers of Wheat States to Assemble in Great Conferences at Fargo and St. Paul to Discuss $2.20 Wheat Price—Will Try to Get Justice for Farmers ONDITIONS that will result from $2.20 wheat will be dis- cussed this month by two great farmers’ meetings, call- ed by the National Nonparti- san league, one meeting to be held in Fargo, N. D, and the other at St. Paul, Minn. « The League announced the meetings last week when the govern- ment price-fixing commission made known its findings. Final dates for these big gather- ings have been fixed as follows: at Fargo, Monday, September 17, to be followed by a three-day meet- ing at St. Paul, Tuesday, Wednes- day and Thursday, September 18, 19 and 20. 'Further announcement of the plans and scope of the meet- ings will be made through the press and in the Nonpartisan Leader next week. Prices and price-fixing on all kinds of pro- ducts will be considered. The crop situation and the financial condition of farmers will be discussed and an effort will very likely be made to influence the government to reopen the price matter. If it appears impos- sible to get the government to recon- sider and fix a fairer price—one that .will stimulate production and mot bankrupt farmers—an effort will prob- ably be made to have the price of $2.20, which has been fixed, apply as a mini- mum price, instead of a maximum price as the government intends. NO MAXIMUM PRICE ALLOWED BY BILL Congress never intended to give the food administration power to fix a maximum price—in fact congress flatly refused to include in the food bill a clause giving this power. But congress overlooked®the fact that in giving the government power to create a wheat- buying corporation, power to control transportation and power to control wheat storage, it was really giving the food administration the means to make whatever price it fixed a maximum price, and prevent anything higher be- ing paid for wheat. If a united and organized protest of farmers of all the wheat states can be made strong enough it is believed the food administration can be influenced to observe the spirit of the food bill and make the price that has been fixed a mini- ~ mum guarantee to farmers, but not prohibit the farmers from obtain- ing a more nearly fair price if they can. Since the League's meetings were announced, word from all over the wheat-growing district makes it cer- tain that the Fargo and St. Paul meet- ings will attract a record attendance. Individual farmers are arranging to come in large numbers, and farmers’ clubs and other organizations are ar- ranging to be represented by delegates. The invitation of the League is also ex- tended to labor federations and labor unions throughout the wheat states, to commercial clubs of the towns and cities and business men generally, and it is probable that the commercial clubs will be well represented. The governors of the wheat states are also invited, as well as congressmen from price—the price at which the gov- ernment was to take over the crop. But when it became known that the United States'was to fix a - -price, Canadian and United States officials got together, and Canada agreed to reconsider its price and fix any price that; might be fixed this side of the line. A big pro- test. is expected from Canadian farmers also. The price their gov- ernment gave them was substan- tially better than that the United The most important and far-reaching farmers’ meetings held in years are scheduled for Fargo and St. Paul this month. They are call- ed by the Nonpartisan league to consider con- ditions arising from the fixing of $2.20 as the price of wheat, and to see if justice can not be obtained for the farmers, not only in the price of wheat but in everything he buys as well as sells. The Fargo meeting will be held on Monday, September 17, and the one at St. Paul on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, tember 18, 19 and 20. Sep- These will be consum- ers and producers meetings to help the govern- ment in shaping its price-fixing poliey. these states and members of the gov- ernment price-fixing board which fixed $2.20 as the price. : CANADA FIXED PRICE TWENTY CENTS HIGHER The meetings promise to be the most important ever held by farmers. The $2.20 price has staggered farmers—it means near ruin for many and less than cost of production for thousands of others. Every farmer, whether a League man or not, should arrange to be either at Fargo or St. Paul on the dates fixed. It will be impossible for the League to get a personal invita- tion to all its members, but the League desires through the Leader to invite every member, and asks them to get their neighbors and clubs to come, whether members or not. Big things will be doing, especially as members of the price-fixing board and congress- men, ‘senators and governors of the wheat states un@oubtedly will be pres-' ent. Already some of these officials have signified their intention of at- tending. 7 Canada fixe& $2.40 as its wheat States has fixed, but now Canadian farmers are not even to get that price—they must accept the price fixed this side of the line. “The farmers are not going out cof their way to find fault with the action of the government’s price commission,” said President Townley. PRESIDENT TOWNLEY EXPLAINS MEETINGS .“But the fact is that the price as set is too low,” he continued. “Tt means bankruptey for many farmers in those districts where the Crop was poor this year, and it means that thou- sands of farmers will have to turn to other crops next gpring. If the gov- ernment wants a big wheat crop next year, it owes it to the farmers to pay them a fair price this year. “The price set, $2.20 for No. 1 north- ern at the Chicago terminal, means about $2 at the local elevator, if the elevator deals squarely. But the Teal truth is that there is little No. 1 north- ern this year. The new wheat grades ag fixed by the government last gpring, are so strict in the matter of moisture PAGE FOUR in wheat, that little or no wheat will grade as No. 1 noithern. “All North Dakota’s wheat will come in the No. 8 and No. 4 grades, and that also is true of the rest of northwestern wheat, Under the price fixed this means that nine out of ten northwest farmers will get about $1.85 for No. 3 and No. 4 wheat when transportatisn and storage charges are subtracted, and they won't get that if the local elevators are not in competition with farmers elevators. 3 ‘“Understand me, this meeting will be held for no other purpose than to talk wheat prices and what it costs .the farmers this vear to grow a bushe] .. of wheat and what it costs him this Yyear to live. FARMERS’ ENEMIES WERE ON THE JOB ‘““We don’'t believe the farmers hald proper representation ‘in fixing the wheat price and we believe the Min- neapolis Chamber of Commerce and other anti-farmers’ organizations had too many lobbyists working for low prices to discredit farmers’ organiza= tions and put them out of business. *“The price as now fixed does not cover cost of production excepting {n a few favored sections where the yield was abnormally large. It does not take into consideration loss in fertility of land, interest on investment and high cost of everything, labor, machin- ery, clothing and all the farmer and his family have to buy. & “I believe $3 is a fair figure. Such a price would be a just reward to the farmers for their work and -would in- crease prosperity of-all cities depend- ing on the farmers for their lives, and there are few cities which do not live well when the farmers get good prices and have hard times when the farmers are hard up.” GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT IN FARMING DISTRICTS DICKINSON, Aug. 31.—(Special)— Prominent farmers of Stark county expressed great disappointment when press dispatches announced today the result of wheat price commission findings and it is generally believed that a meeting of prominent farmers tributary to Dickinson will be called within two or three days to inaugurate some systematic protest, . The price set means $2.03 per bush= el at local elevators for No. 1 northern and many farmers contend that this will not pay for the cost of producs tion this year with everything else climbing' in price all the time. When called to the telephone for an inter- view on the subject a prominent farm- er near the city stated: *I have just finished reading press (Continued ‘on page 17)