Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-09-02
ESTIMATE CROP ARKANSAS RICE
 7,OO0,OCO BU.
Labor Scarcity May Cause Trouble At Harvest, De
 clare Growers.

Little Rock, Sept. With pros poets of rice yield this year of over I,000,O0 bushels, Arkansas is aiding the government materially in it's plan to the people to conserve the wheat supply as far as possible by using grain substitutes.
 While certain rice products are used as stock feed. it is chiefly valu- able as food, according to A. D. Deals, manager of the Arkansas Rice Shippers Traffic bureau. MT. Beals stated that last year 2.50O cars of clean rice were shipped out of Arkan- sas
 Within the last ten years the grow ing of rice in this state has develop ed from a mere "sdeline'' until it now ranks third in Arkansas grain production corn being first and oats second. Farmers are giving if more attention each year, and Mr. Beals predicts that it will only be matter of few years before the production of rice will be second only to corn. Last year the rice acreage in Ark ansis was 125,000, and this was in creased 15 per cent this year. The yield last year, according to Mr. Beals was 6,oo0, ,00O, or an average of 52 bushels to the acre. The seasons have been quite favorable and MT.
 'eals states that there is every req son to believe that the immense yield will be proportionately as great as the increase in acreage.
 Labor Is Needed. Fhn Ia hoy. e,bo,io uo fo,, now the only obstacle that stands be- tween the rice growers of this state l and a successful crop year. The har- vest season commences the latter part of September. MT. Eeals said that efforts are now being made to meet the situation in time to sue htively unreasonable as compared county, the heaviest rice growing county in the state, is feeling the la DOT shortage more than the others, it is said
 Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Mis- sissippi are the four leading rice growing states. Figures compiled by M. E. Layne of Memphis show that the average return per acre for rice in Arkansas was S45.9S, which was more than three and one-half times the average per acre of wheat.
 The average production per acre in Arkansas was greater than in the other Southern states.
 \ Look for Rate Decision.
 MT. Beals stated that the rice grow CTS and millers in this. state are hop ing for favorable decision from the Interstate commerce commission in the case of the Arkansas Rice Ship pers' Traffic bureau against the Ann Arbor Railroad company ct al., which was heard here during July. The complainant charged that the rates on clean rice and rice products from the Arkansas mills to New England territory, Trunk Line territory, Cen tral Freight association territory. Western Trunk Line territory and to the state of Oklahoma "are inherently unjust and unreasonab ble, and are rel aticely unreasonable as compared with rates from Memphis, New Or leans, from interior Louisiana and from Texas, and as compared with rates on analogous and competitive articles"
 It was declared further that the rates on clean rice from Arkansas mills are Unjust, unreasonable and unduly discrimatory to the undue prejudice and disadvantage of the Arkansas rice millers, and give to; Memphis, New Orleans, interior Lou4' isiana and Texas an undue advantr tage." ed