Evening star., 1922-12-05
PLIGHT Of FARMER
HELD uNREL|EvED
Secretary Wallace Explains
Disadvantage in Price
Relationship.
LEGISLATION IS URGED
Annual Report to President Points
to Nations Dependence on
Agriculture.

Farmers Of the country find them
selves still laboring under "a terrible
disadvantage" as compared with other
groups. Secretary Wallace declared in
his annual report to the President,
made public today.
"If financial rewards were meas
ured out i'll proportion to the results
of honest, productive effort (unfortu-
natciy they are not always). the
farmers of the nation would have lit
tie reason to complain of their re-
turns this year." Secretary Wallace
declared.
IF the relationship between prices
row was such as existed before the
war, inns would be IL prosperous year
Tor agriculture and consequently a
prosperous year for the nation
There is food in superabundance."
Mr. Wallace SAID. land this contrib
utcs to the prosperity of business and
industry for time. but the made
uuatc return which the farmer is re-
ceiving. and has for three years, in
evitahly must result in readjustments
in the number of peoeple on the farms
and in the cities, which will not be
Tor the continuing good of tho ma
tion.''
There has been a greatly accel-
Grated movement of farmers and eS-
pecially farmers sons. from the farms
to the cities and industrial centerS,
the Secretary reported declaring that
best estimates indicate that during
July. August and September twice as
many persons left the farms for the
cities as normally"
The Secretary renewed his recon-
'nendation for rural credits 1egisla =
tion. asserting that action should be
J taken promptly to increase the maxi
mum which a farm loan bank may
loan to an individual from $4,000 10
S.o,ooo. He advocated also read
JuStment of the term loans may run.
saying system should be established d
! ny which the farmer could borrow for
periods of from six months to thrcf
wears. Creation of Il new bureau of
home economies was urged by the
Secretary to enable the department
10 extend its efforts toward better
economic systems in the rural COM
munity.
Another problem requiring imme-
diate attention. the Secretary said,
was THE necessity of working out
ana applying Il comprehensive plan
of protecting, regrowing and utilizing
our forests. lie declared forest leg
lSlatton should be enacted extending
federal cooperation to the states in
the protection of forests. co-ordinat-
growing and distribution of forest
J planting material. extending purchase
or tlmberland ''uS rapidly as the con-
uition OF the Treasury will permit"
and covering into national forests
some areas now comprised in Indian
reservations.
The Secretary reported good prog
ress IN organization of the pack ers
ana stockyardS administration and
me grain futures administration, in
the campaign against plant pests and
IN the various other lines of service
III Which MS department is interested
Year of Prosperity.
This year would be a prosperous
year for agriculture. and CONSEQUENT
ly prosperous year for the nation,
II the relationship of prices now was
such as existed before the war Sec
retary Wallace said. There has been
some increase in prices of farm prod
ucts. but there has not been much
Improvement in the general relation
ship between the prices of the things
the farmer produces and the things
he buys.
Among the causes which contribute
10 the normal relationship of farm
secretary Wallace mentioned these:
Overproduction of many farm crops
Continued high freight rates.
maintenance of industrial wages at
near wartime Levels.
Economic depression and depreci-
ated currency in European countries
interference with the efficient func-
tioning of necessary industries.
Cnreasonably high costs of distri-
button of some farm products
Some contend there is no such a
thing as overproduction of farm prod
are people in the world who suffer
for food and clothing" said Secretary
Wallace. "On the same line of reason
ing it can be argued that the produce
ton of automobiles will be Inadequate
until every man and woman and every
boy and girl of high school age owns
one. There is overprOduction, as far
as the producer is concerned, when
ever. the quantity produced cannot be
marketed at a price which will cover
all costs and leave the producer
enough to tempt him to continue pro-
overproduction the output will be re-
duced either by conscious effort on
the part of the producers or by the
operation of economic laws which
drive the less efficient producers out
of business. The fact is that for three
the United States have produced moro
of some crops than could be sold at
prices high enough to cover producing
costs"
Secretary Wallace, IN his report re-
news his plea of last year for more
centralized housing Of the depart
ment. pointing out again that its ac-
tivities are in forty buildings, scat
tered throughout the city. He asks
for the erection Of an eight-story Of
flee building south Of the main build
ing; completion of the central section
to connect the two marble wings:
construction of building on the
north of the departments reservation,
and completion of the latter building
by the construction of north facade.
1t is estimated that the program
would involve an ultimate outlay of
s15.350,0O0.