Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-12-20
LIMITING WHEAT PRODUCTION.

A Washington letter says that Congressman
Young. OF North Dakota, has prepared an article
which is to be published in an early issue of FARM:
Stock and Home in which he advocates the organic
ca reduction OF wheat acreage as a means of regulat-
ing the price. The essential feature of the plan as
outlined is the creation of a federal governments or
ganization which shall operate as a marketing
|agency, and which shall also secure from farmers
pledges to reduce their wheat acreage by rs per
cent, the purpose being to reduce the wheat produce
ton OF the country to approximately the 6O0,000,0O0
Bushels which will suffice for domestic
eliminating the several hundred million bushels
which we usually produce as a surplus. It is pro-
posed that upon the receipt of such pledges from
70 per cent OF the growers; the bureau shall guaran-
tee to them the price which is agreed on in advance
as satisfactory, leaving outside of the benefits to be
enjoyed the rs per cent who do not sign. This, it
is believed, will result in the pledging of the entire
acreage. Various details of the plan are worked
out in an interesting way which it would not be
proper to describe in advance Of the regular publica-
ton of the article. -
Limitation of wheat acreage, we believe, would
be an excellent thing, but limitation by pledge to
the government would involve so many hazardous
features that it will be we'll to proceed slowly in
considering it. The first objection that presents it
self is a very important one, and to many it will of
itself be conclusive. The plan proposed would in
|%troduce into our system an elementrnot only foreign
but utterly rePugfant to it, namely, the right Of the
to use his own property in his own way
and according to his own best judgment of what's
really useful and constructive. The American
farmer has had a good many things to contend
with, but more than any other man he has preserv-
ed his personal independence. He has been master
of his own acres, and he will not readily accustom
himself to a system under which he is subjected to
outside dictation as to what he shall plant, and
where, and how much. ~
r. In sections of Russia there has been for many
years a community control over many of the actssof
the individual. The village council has decided
on the entire farm program for the year, d~esignat-
ing the number of acres which peasants should
plant, the kind of grain, and prescribing all the
details of the seasons work. The council decided
on the proper time to begin planting, the time to
cut hay and to harvest grain. 1t is said that the
peasants were quite happy under this sort Of ar
rangement. They had been born to it and had
grown up in it. To them it was natural and normal.
But to the American farmer it is neither natural
nor normal. And, aside from the practical Difficult
ties inherent n Sthe plan, such as the effect which the
arbitrary reduction of wheat acreage would haye,
on other production, we believe that the unwilling
ness Of the American farmer to accept a plan SO
foreign to- all his thought and training would pEe@
vent its adoption.
Wheat acreage, we believe, will take care Of
itself. When the individual becomes convinced that
he is d~evoting more acres to wheat than he can use
.proftably for that purpose, he will reduce his acre
age of his own accord. In most cases this reduction
will be accompanied by other changes for which the
farmer has made adequate preparation. Whether
the total production of the country is more or less,
the individual will find himself producing wheat
more cheaply because his, acre will yield him more
bushels. i