The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, September 6, 1917, Page 7

PRICE FIXING r I \HE difference in the principle.of a government fixed or guar- anteed price for farm products and for manufactured products " should be understood. When the government fixes a price on wheat, for instance, even though that price is based on the average cost of production, it is not a guarantee that the farmer will get a crop. It is not a guarantee that the price will benefit all farmers, even if . high enough, for many farmers will have small crops or no crops at " farmer who produces more than all. The individual farmer still has to contend with the risk of weather and disease. On the other hand when a price is fixed or guaranteed by the government on a manufactured produect, flour for instance, it amounts to a certain promise of adequate return to all manufacturers. The food administration has announced that it will permit millers to make 25 cents per barrel on flour, over and above expense of milling and cost of raw material. The government has also announced that its great wheat corporation, formed for the purpose of buying and selling wheat at whatever price the government fixes, will guarantee millers a sup- Ply of wheat at this price. This means that millers will have no worry over getting the raw material, and will not be bothered by price ques- tions. The government will fur- TORIAL SECTI overthrow the Kaiser or in some way reform their government so that terms of peace can be negotiated with a democratic government repre- senting and responsible to the people, will the United States consider a discussion of peace with Germany. The president’s reason for this refusal to consider peace as long as Kaiserism is in the saddle is that the German government as at present constituted may use a peace at this time as a chance to recuperate with the idea of starting another war in due time; and that the promises of the present German govern- ment are not worth anything when considered with the past record of the present German government. . The consequences of this position of the United States should be faced by the people honestly and frankly. Nothing has been said defi- nitely and officially until now that would indicate that the United States was not ready, with its allies, to make peace whenever Germany was willing to accept the allies’ terms. Those who have been insisting that the government state concretely on what basis it would make peace, have hoped that whatever terms the allies announced would be accepted by Germany and that peace would result. True, the United States and the allies did not state definitely the teris Germany would have to accept, but it was hoped that when those terms were stated it would be merely a matter of get- nish them a regular and certain ting Germany to accept them, supply of wheat at a fixed price. ROW’ DERN YE! ROW! either by continuing the war The miller is then allowed to charge for his flour a price that will cover the cost of the wheat that went into its manufacture, the expense .of milling and 25 cents profit per barrel. Thus gov- ernment guaranteed wheat and flour prices for millers means a guarantee of certain and ade- quate profits. Every miller will be certain of his 25 cents a barrel profit. : In the case of farmers, how- ever, a guaranteed price does not carry these benefits. All it means is that if the price is fair and ade- quate the average farmer and the the average, will make adequate returns. But no farmer knows whether he will have an average or worse than average crop. He may get so small or poor a crop that a guarantee of $10 a bushel will not recompense him for his outlay. He may get no erop at all. The guaranteed price for millers means certain and adequate re- turns. Millers could not wish for anything better. For farmers it does not mean that. Farmers will still have to carry the risk of drouth, excessive rains, hail, fire, rust and other diseases. This dif- ference in what a guaranteed price : : means to the diffent interests concerned should be taken into consid- eration in estimating what a fair price for farm products should be. It should tend to increase the price fixed for farm products by the government. *® & @ When a United States senator declares that men of wealth are dodging taxes to the extent of $300,000,000 by committing “perjury, it's strange how few daily newspapers in the Northwest figure the news is important enough to print. S THE PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT- RESIDENT WILSON’S recent reply to the proposal for peace P officially puts the United States in a new position. The presi- dent recognizes the justice of practically every peace basis put forward by the Pope. He says the United States is seeking no material advantage in this war; that there must be no punitive indemnities or dismemberment of countries; he declares against economic leagues of nations against other nations after the war, and he apparently approves the plan for a league of nations to enforce peace. But, says the presi- dent, even should the German government be willing to grant all these things at the present time, or even further concessions, the United States will not consider peace as long as the present government of Germany exists. ? : In other words, he says that no peace will be negotiated with the Kaiser or his government or with the German people as long as they support that government. Not until the German people themselves: PAGE SEVEN i 274 £ 7205 e Sy L& 0/,//,;' y . e persuading Germany to bow to the terms at once. Now it has been officially stated by the president that the United States wants more than the acceptance of fair and reason- able peace terms; it wants those terms accepted by some other gov- ernment than the present govern- ment of Germany, or in some way by the people of Germany them- selves in a manner that will be a promise of the German people, as well as the German government, that all promises and treaties made in the peace conference will be observed by Germany. Further, the form of the German govern- ment must be made demoecratic, so that the present or a future German autocracy can not again disturb the world’s peace with military and imperialistic ambi- tions. The people of the United States must understand this posi- tion thoroughly. It seems at this time to hold out little hope for X - peace in the near future. There 7 have been reports of discontent in Germany, but a revolution there may be years in developing, and it may never come at all. The Ger- mans are a docile people, used to an autocratie government, and autocracy in'Germany has been gen- erous in putting in effect measures for social justice among the people. ‘We must recognize, also, that the allied war aims have been so indefi- nitely stated, and the press and individuals in the allied countries have been so intemperate in their demangds-for crushing Germany, that the German people as a whole now believe that their autocracy with its efficient army is all that stands between them and extermination. It is to be hoped that the president’s invtation to the German peo- ple to start a revolution and change their form of government will be accepted. But what if it is not? What if the German people forever refuse to be disloyal to their government? What if, even when they are crushed and beaten, if such a thing is possible, they stick by their government and their Kaiser? In that event will we never have peace? The consequences of the president’s definition of the United States’ object in the war should be plainly understood and frankly faced. It seems to hold out no prospect for peace in the near future. It elimi- nates the necessity, the president evidently thinks, for a definite state- ment or offer of terms of peace, for what use. would it be to state terms of peace if we will not accept an agreement to them by the present German government? It would be useless to state terms until there is a revolution in Germany. How will the Germany people look on this demand from the enemies of their country that they change their form of government before the enemy will make peace? It remains to be seen. vigorously against Germany or . e S L PN