Evening star., 1923-09-27
PLAN STABILIZE
WHEAT PRICES LAID
|. BEFORE PRESIDENT
Committee of Northwest
I Bankers and Business Men
Urges Special Session.
ASKS U. S. TO HELP FIX
ACREAGE FOR FARMER
Proposal Would Revive Grain Cor.
poration and Prevent Over
production.

Price stabilization of wheab
through an organization under gov
ernmental direction. which viii nave
the power through cooperation on
the part of the farmers to guiuc
them each year In determining the
amount of acreage 60, be planted, was
recommended to President Coolidge
today by committee of bankers ana
business men from the northwest
Such a plan. the President was told,
would result in controlling acreage
and limiting production of wheat 70
such n point that there will be
proper domestic market for wheat. -
Would Decrease Production.
THE movement" the President was
told. will be in the direction of de.
creased wheat production, and nafv
uraIIy as result bring about an iR-
crease in diversified farming, which
is so necessary" -.
The committee suggested that the
United States Grain Corporation De
revived as the agency to control the
wheat acreage recommended by theni.
The members also urged upon rne
President the need for lower freight
rates on wheat and other agricultural
products.
An extra session Of Congress, the
committee told the President, should
be called to deal with the agricul-
tural problems. 1t was suggested 70
the President that If the merchant
marine problem had been .considered
of sufficient Importance to warrant
the late President Harding In Gaining
a special session last fall, the agH.
II S-<l-, f- rar p a
sufficient Importance to demand spe-
cial session of Congress without os
lay.
Coolidge Questions Farmers. ah
Following their conference with
the President, members OF the COM
n,ittee said that the President eyinced
great interest! iIipz the farm problern
and that he promised to take under
advisement the suggestions made by
the committee Three farmers, menl-
bets of the comitteeswere Iquestioned
by the President himself, following the
statement made by the committee.
Later it was said that the Presi-
dent showed himself thoroughly con-
versant with the farm industry in
his questions.
The delegation will have a hearing
before Secretary wallace of the De-
partment of Agriculture this after
noon and tomorrow afternoon will be
granted similar hearing by Secre-
tary Hoover OF the Department OF
Commerce.
Personnel of Delegation.
The delegation consisted OF the fol-.
lowing: Senator Norbeck of South
Dakota, A. D. Stephens. banker.
crookston, Mimi; J, \. Buchanan.
farmer. Buchanan, n. D.; A. V. De
Nault, banker. Jamestown. n. D.; J.
mer Gov c. n. Herried, South Dakota;
Representative G. NJ. Young, North
Dakota; A. Kopperud, banker, Web
ster- $, D.; l. J; Welch secretary OF
tion; G. II. Garnett. banker, North
Dakota: N. ]. Holmberg, secretary
of agriculture, Minnesota. and Sena-
tor Lynn J. Frazier Of North Dakota
and Representative Royal G. johnson
of South Dakota.
They were accompanied by Secre-
tary of Commerce Hoover. Secretary
Of Agriculture Wallace and Eugene
Meyer. jr., managing director OF the
War Finance Corporation.
Represented Six states. s~'
The committee represented six
states. comprising the ninth federal
reserve district. The committee. in
its statement to the President, said:
I'VE want it distinctly understood
that our mission is not alone in he
ers of the ninth district, but We speak
for the wheat growers and farmers
of the entire country. We wish 20
safeguard the investors in farm
and we are especially interested IN
saving for thousands of farmers their
rights of ownership in their land ahti
to prevent farmers from being forced
to leave their present location for
other states and OCCUPATIONS.
ao.ocO FH--,s Abandoned. SCI
I'm the New E-ogland states in the
ten-year period i'eeceding 1920. 40. 600
farms were abandoned. : In PennsyIl
rania and New Jersey over 4a,0ee
farms were abandoned. In 1922 5000.
! 600 people left the farms OF the
mated that 5000. 600 will quit the
occupation and seek their living else
where. -.. {. =. - :.-s y >; -.
I'VE. are not asking for a fixed or
guaranteed price of wheat. nor ara
we in favor OF such Legislation. -
, I'VE are asking for price. stabiliza,s
tion through an organization under,
governmental direction which Will
on the part of the-rfarmers to, guide
them each year in determining the
| amount OF acres to be seeded and
thus. so far as is possible through s
of wheat to such point that there
will be a. proper domestic market for
same Such a movement win be A
the direction of decreased wheat prs-
duction and, naturally, as a result
bring about an increase In divergi. :.
fed farming, which is. so necessary.s
In Serious Situation. -
our farmers are in a most Esert
Gus situation. Thousands of thar
have already been forced to feSyS
their farms; many that. remain hare,
lost their farms through Foreclosure
of mortgages. and they. with thou
sands of tenant farmers. are hons.
lIessly In debt and unable to contfrs.sa
their operations unless there igs deT-
mite promise that they shall recefy4
in the future prices which shall bea
on a level with those prices for ,4h,x
things which they must buy. & = =
1T is claimed that overproductian
and the lack of world ma rk cts ,ia
responsible for the situation. II
such is the case. the above plan. .lsfr.
'ntelligenuy carried, out, will solya
their problems. : sss -
Less wheat. ProduceG.a s:
TStatistics show however, that. dlsr.s
Ing 1929 there was produced IN ,tt3s
world $4,000. 900 bushels less wheat