32 THE AGRICULTURAL BLOC 



fixing of the price of wheat. The handling of 

 this matter by our government is not a pleasant 

 story when viewed from the farmer's stand- 

 point. 



The fact that food control was imposed with 

 so little protest was due to the genuine patriot- 

 ism of all the people concerned and particularly 

 the farmers. When the committee on prices 

 was appointed by the President and reported 

 that the price of wheat should be placed at $2.20 

 for Number 1 Northern Spring Wheat at Chica- 

 go, farmers knew at once that many would be 

 unable to produce wheat at this price and get 

 back the cost of production, but they continued 

 without a murmur. The fact that some of the 

 farm leaders pointed out that this could hardly 

 be a fair price was made the occasion for un- 

 warranted criticism that the farmers were try- 

 ing to profiteer on the increased food produc- 

 tion. 



While the amount that the farmer actually 

 received for his wheat in 1917 was considerably 

 more than received during 1916, the increase 

 in costs was so much more that the dissatisfac- 

 tion continued to grow. Farmers believed and 

 expected that the crop of 1917 would bring a 

 higher price than they had received in 1916 be- 



