The Alaska daily empire., 1920-11-18
FOOD PRODUCERS MOVE TO COMBAT
 FALLING PRICES
Radical Curtailment of Pro- duction Threatened if
 Prices Down, Claim. FARMERS NOT UNANIMOUS
Canvass Shows Sentiment in Many Agricultural States
 Opposed to Strike.

KANSAS CITY, Mo, Nov. 18.- The National Farmers Union today issued a call for nation wide prod ucers strike to combat falling prices of farm products.
 Radical reduction of production in the near future is threatened unless prices are fairly readjust- ed" the call declared.
 The Unions action was taken in the face of a recent canvass taken by the Illinois Agricultural Associa ton of organized farmers in nine of the great agricultural states of the Middle West which showed that while sentiment runs strongly toward holding back grain as far as practicable for better prices a strike" for any set price was not favored
 Reports were received by secre- tries of state farm bureau federa- tions in Missouri, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Kentucky. In no cases did state federation report it had advised a strike
 Credit Facilities Needed.
 Need of credit facilities to enable farmers to hold their wheat if they want to was pointed out from sev- eral states One state secretary wrote he was "using the present conditions as an argument in favor of the farmers getting into the big marketing game in such a way that they will be able to finance it and to store considerable of the grain as it is offered"
 ''The attitude l have taken in the matter is this" wrote L. D. Lute, of Lincoln, Neb., secretary of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, that it is wrong to set an arbitrary price of $3 bushel and that it is hardly advisable to ask the farmers to hold their wheat unless we are in a position to help them on the financial and storage ends of the game But I do tell the farmers that I believe wheat will be high CT and that it will be a good thing to hold it if they are in a position to do so"
 Writing that the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation does not believe wheat strike necessary or desirable for the country" Sec retary P. J. Crandall of Huron said, "our method of handling the situa- ton is to furnish farmers with ac- curate information regarding the wheat market to help them in de- ,ermining what action is best for heir needs The farmers will hold their wheat off the market without c doubt if they are able to get 'redt which will allow them to carry their products. The credit sit Uation is the key to the whole mat CT We are advising that the world wheat situation warrants holding of the crop if cerdit allows and using our best efforts to help 1ring financial relief"
 Advise Holding of Crops.
 Officially the Missouri Farm Bureau Federation has made no rec ommendation, A. J. Meyer, at Co., lumbia, executive secretary. wrote As individuals, he added, ''all members of our executive commit tee take the attitude that where farmers can afford to hold wheat they should by all means do so. This is on the theory that present prices are about as low as we can reasonably expect them to go. Since we are not in a position to guaran- tee s3 wheat. we can hardly advise farmers to hold for S3"
 The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Fed eration does not endorse strikes" as q means of controlling the price of farm products. wrote Secretary C. A. Peters of Rosendale. Wis. Accord ing 10 the present situation in re-