The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-11-17
FARMERS ADVISED
TO HOLD WHEAT
Big Grain Producing Sections of the
Country Facing Serious
Situation
(Associated Press)


oring a grain "strike" for any set
price, sentiment among organized
farmers in the great agricultural
states of the middle west runs strong
ly toward holding back grain as far
as practicable for better prices, ac-
cording to canvass made here. This
survey of sentiment was taken by the
Illinois Agricultural Association.
Reports were received by secreta-
ries of state farm bureau federations
in Missouri, Minnesota, South Dakota,
Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin.
and Kentucky. In no case did state
federation report it had advised a
"strike."
Need of credit facilities to enable
farmers to hold their wheat if they
want to was pointed out from several
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 way that they will be able
to finance it and to store considerable
grain as it is offered"
"The attitude ]. have taken in the
matter is this" wrote Fl. D. Lutte, of
Lincoln, Neb., secretary of the Me-
braska Farm Bureau Federation,
shat it is wrong to set an arbitrary
price of So bushel and that it is
hardly advisable to ask the farmers
to hold their wheat unless we are in
position to help them on the finan-
cial and storage ends of the game.
But ! do tell the farmers that I be-
lieve wheat will be higher and that
it will be good thing to hold it. They
are in position to do So"
Writing that the South Dakota
Farm Bureau Federation "does not'
believe wheat strike necessary or
desirable for the country" Secretary
p. J.. Crandall of Hfron. said, "our
nethod Of handling the situation is
to furnish farmers with accurate in
formation regarding the wheat mar
Net to help them in determining what
action is best for their needs. The
farmers will hold their wheat off the
market without doubt if they are
able to get credit which will allow
them to carry their products. The
credit situation is the key to the whole
matter. We are advising that the
world wheat situation warrants hold
ing of the crop if credit allows and
using our best efforts to help bring
financial relief"
Officially the the Missouri Farm
Bureau Federation has made no rec
ommendation, A.. j. Meyer, at Column
bia, executive secretary, wrote. AS
individuals" he added, "all members
of our executive committee take the
attitude that where farmers can af-
ford to hold wheat they should by all
means do so. This is on the theory
that present prices are about as low
az we can reasonably expect them to
go. Since we are not in a position to
guarantee SO wheat, we can hardly
advise farmers to hold for So.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Fed
GRAFTON does not endorse strikes" as
a means of controlling the price ot
fram products, wrote Secretary G. A
Peters, of Rosendale, Wis. :" Accord.
ing to the present situation in regarc
10 wheat we believe that the low
prices are unjustiable and that il
would be good business policy for tht
farmers to discontinue heavy market,
ing and allow the market to adjust
itself"
From Iowa, E. H. Cunningham oi
Ames, secretary of the Iowa Farm
Bureau Federation, wrote, "We real
ize that it is the most difficult thing
to hold grain and we do not recon-
mend that it be held to arbitraril.
force prices to unreasonable height
OF course we have no credit system
whereby we can hold all the grains o
the country, but we are advising on
farmers to slow down in marketing
for the present until this period o
Generalization in prices has some
what recovered"