New-York tribune., 1918-02-15
Shortage Of Feed
Alarms the Poultry
And Dairy Farmers
Little Coarse Grain on Hand and
Relief May Be Delayed
for Weeks

Owing to the extreme scarcity of
fecdstuffs, the farmers throughout this
section of the country, especially in
the New England States, have been
placed in an equivocal position by the
recent order Of the food administra-
ton prohibiting tho killing of laying
hens. Their predicament is we'll illus
tratcd by story told yesterday by a
grain dealer on the Produce Exchange.
"Onc of my customers" he said,
who has large poultry farm little
ways upstate came to my office this
morning and implorcd me to get a car
of feed for him. Mr.. Hoover tells me
that l must not kill off my Chickens
he said, 'but there is scarcely a bushcl
of corn or oats left on the place to
feed them. If they don't get some
thing to eat pretty soon they will all
be dead in spite of Mr.. Hoover. Can't
you help me outT"
Situation Serious
Tho shipper had to admit that he
was powerless to aid in any way to
save his customers chickens and in
cldentally avert the financial loss which
the customer is facing. This incident,
multiplied by many thousands of SIM
liar cases, the grain dealer added. gives
some idea of the seriousness of the
situation in these parts due to the
acute shortage Of corn, oats and other
feedstuffs.
Dairy farmers, as we'll as poultry
ralsers, are complaining bitterly be-
cause of the difficulty they are having
IN obtaining sufficient feed to keen up
their stock.
Undsr orders given to the Western
roads by the government railroad sd
mlnlstration to speed up grain ship
ments, receipts of corn and oats at
Chicago and other Western primary
markets are showing a substantial in
crease, but, according to local grain
men, it will be some time before the
Eastern markets will derive any ma
teriai benefit from this move ment
owing to the still badly congested con-
dltlon of transportation at New York
and other seaboard terminals.
Can Meet Only Current Needs
Assuming that it is possible to build
up stocks OF corn and oats at points of
quick shipment to something like nor
NAL proportions within the next few
weeks, redistribution of supplies
throughout New York and New Eng
land sufficient to more than relieve the
immediate needs. of the farmers for
feedstuffs is not anticipated.
This view of the situation is based
on the belief that, with this part cf
the country now almost bare of sup
receipts from the West such as is now
regarded possible will fall short of the
normal feeding demands of this sec
ton. Furthermore, it is argued, the
tood administration in its efforts to
increase the movement Of grain to the
seaboard, is keeping constantly in mind
the necessity of supplying the urgent
needs of the Allies, and therefore a
good share of the receipts at Eastern
terminals from this time forward are
certain to be diverted for export.
Speeding Shipment
Chicago advices say that more box
cars are daily being sent into the corn
and oats belts, and all Western mar
kets are prohibited from reloading the
cars after they reach the elevators.
This eliminates reconsigning and di-
verting of grain, giving the elevators
a chance to do business most effec
lively and obtaining maximum use of
car space for its real purpose Each
car will make as many trips as pos
sible the next sixty days. The large
amount of soft corn awaiting shipment
is the particular cause of the extraor-
dlnary preference given to grain ship
ments over all other sorts for the pres
ent. There is plenty of storage room
at all terminal markets and a small
percentage of the country's corn dry
Ing capacity has been utilized, but all
drying plants will be running to capa-
city very soon.
1t is necessary to dry practically all
Of the corn being received now at
Western primary markets before it can
be reshipped for export or distribution
through the Eastern States.