The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1919-01-29
SAYS FARMER MUST
BE PROTECTED NOW
Hoover Points to Chief Problem of
the Hour
, VAST SUPPLIES ON HAND
Says Real Solution Lies in tho
Hope of an Early
Peice.

Paris, Jan. 26.--.Herbert Hoover.
United States food administrator and
director general of the international
reHet organization, gave out the fol-
lowing statement to lay:
The dominating food problem in
the United States at this moment is a
very much bigge, problem than the
Chicago packers. 1t is a problem of
the American farmer.
III The packers profits of 2 to 3
| per cent on his turnover is too high,
it is the duty of Congress to tax it
out of him. If the farmers prices
threaten to fall below the level of a
fair return, it behooves the country
to do some quick, clear thinking.
Farmer Comes First.
The perplexities arising out of in
ability 20 demobilze totally the food
situation of the world in the period
between the armistice and peace
make the farmers position in the mat
ter OF much more mmdiate concern
than the future of the Chicago pack
erS.
Taking it broadly, before the Euro
pean war began, we exported about
100000 tons of food year. This
year we are prepared to export at
the rate of from 15,00O,OO0 to 10000
OO0 tons. The increase represents the
patriotic service of the American
farmer under the stimulation of the
pleas from the Allied governments
that without an enormous increase in
our food supplies their very lives
would be menaccd
Cut Short by U~Boats.
The submarine had so shortened
the worlds shipping that the Allies
were unable to reach the distant mar
kets OF the Southern hemisphere, and
we were bound to create in America
sufficient food to carry Europe. If
the war had gone on, every pound of
1T and more would have been required
by the Allies before next harvest.
The armlstice came suddenly, free
ing shipping from military use and re-
opening to the Allies the cheaper
Southern hemisphere and the colonial
markets, where in addition they
could have more liberal credits and
markets for their manufacture.
Difficult Situation.
we are thus faced with a serious
problem with respect to our own great
supplies, patriotically accumulated. If
an early peace is signed and the mar
kets OF Europe are opened freely to
trade, there will be a greater demand
for food from the new mouths than
ever this surplus couidsupply. But
IN the period between the armistice
and neace we have very difficult
situation.
zone of the most critical food
shortages in the world was that in
fats, and the only help lay in an in
crease IN the American hoG. Our an-
| rlculture department and the food adj
! mlnlstration spared no efforts to
stimulate this production. Our farm
ers were assured that in the general
shortage, subject only to the uncer-
talnties of war, they would experience
no difficulty in marketing their prod
nets. Due to the saving of our peo-
nle and the gradual increased Droduc-
ton of our farms, we have lifted our
| ability to export from. $4,000 900
pounds of fat per month in the sum
mer of 1917 to 400000,00O pounds per
| month in this January
Packers Profits.
"To achieve this mobilization of
fats it was necessary to mobilizn the he
packers as well as the farmers. There
is no doubt that the vast volume of
| business brought profit to the packers.
''thou"h at less percentage than
before the food administration took
charge of it.
"The Allied nations, in order to
effect regular supplies to their people
in the face of short shipping and to
| provide for government rationinp.
were compelled to take over the en-
| tire purchase of these food supplies
and thereby abandon the ordinary
! flow of trade and commerce. In con-
sequence they concentrated their buv-
ing through agancies and the power
or these buying agencies was so great
| that they controlled the price.
he business of the food admins
tr'tlon was to brine these bnyinp
""ents. tho representatives Of the
'rn'e"s who ~" nredominatinplv in
tcrnsted. and the great and snail
"ackera together and TO 500 TO it that
sonar" deal was obtainod all
ground. The prices were settled in q
'omt conf""ence nf the forr,ors. tho
representatives Of the Allies b,,vers
"nd IN" GREAT and small nockors m
10Y the general arran~oncnt that tho
nackrr was allowed b. a Quarter Of
cent pound nvnr the above prico
," m" farmer and the cost of VOW
"-erT'i and lobOr for hacking. Tho
Allies took tho entire surplus.
Sudden Chanr".
"''h" situation chhn~oh ovn" rirht
with the "rmietico Tho Allies aro not
on'v s""kinp tho So~thnrn bnn,isnhnrc
marb"ts hrt thew had aIen Iate,v ac
"""nlatoh lar"n stocks of fats as IN
| insurance a%ainst tho submarine mon
a"" F"eod from this menace. and
with the shortage of finance oxnori-
enced by all governments. toocther
| with the loss in the stOraoa of com