Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-15
HEAD
ASKS CITIZENS To
HELP FARMERS OUT

WASHINGTON, March 12.-An ap-
peal for every good citizen" to do
what he can to help the farmers
through the period of depression, not
for the sake of helping the farmer
alone, but "for the sake of helping
himself" was made today by Secre-
tary of Agriculture Wallace, in his
first formal statement.
Prices Of farm products must rise
and prices of other products come
down before the normal relations be-
tween them has restored, Mr.. Wallace
asserted. Talk Of bringing prices
back to a pre-war level, he declared,
sis morally wrong and economically
impossible" adding that Everybody
would be better off" If an effort
were made. to bring about a price
level "say 20 per cent above the pre-
war normal"
. Secretary Wallace said he doubted
whether the people in the east real
lie just what has happened to the
farmers of the producing sections.
Citing conditions in the central west
as an example, he said that there,
Notwithstanding that 1--WE have the
finest rural civilization, taken as
whole, the world has ever SEEM" the
farmers are now in "a most trying
period and are suffering severe fl
nanciaI losses" Farmers through
out the nation, especially those in
the south and west, he added, ARE
experiencing exactly the same trou-
ble.'
This widespread agricultural de-
preston results from the high cost
of production and because farm prod
ucts have dropped "out of all pro-
portion" to the prices of other things.
Mr.. Wallace said. while the farm
err" he continued, 'is selling the
er, and for great surplus crops, low
er than the pre-war normal, he must
buy practically everything he needs
at prices from so to $50 per cent
above the pre-war normal" AS long
as such a condition continues, he
added, the severe agricultural de-
preston is inevitable" and it will
certainly be communicated ito in
dustry and business generally"
"It is a terrible indictment Of our
modern civilization" Mr. wallace as
serted, when this great country is
in the period of what might almost
be called economic chaos because of
our great surplus food supply, while
across the seas, in both directions,
almost half the world is suffering
for want of food. If our statesmen
had given more thought to getting
the, world back on a sound economic
basis, and perhaps had spent less time
on idealiStic enemies and theories they
would have rendered a great con-
tribution to the peace and orderliness
and happiness of the people of the
earth"
The department, the secretary said
would do everything possible to find
an outlet for the great food surplus
Ways of producing more cheaply
new uses for surplus crops and bet
ter marketing systems, he said
would help the situation.
Everything which influences pro-
duction and price must be consider
ed, the secretary said-competition
from foreign lands where the stand
ards of living are lower than here
world conditions of supply and de-
mand, administration of the credit
machinery, and of the transportation
system. Those who control the fl
nances Of the country have the power
to influence, either directly or indi-
rectly. through credit extension, a
large amount Of control over prices
of farm products, he asserted, add
ing:
"In short, the people Of the ma
ton must come to understand that
our prosperity as a nation depends
upon prosperous and wholesome
agriculture"