The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-08-27
REMEDY FOR THE
WHEAT SITUATION
AGRICULTURAL REVIEW SAYS
TOO GREAT PRODUCTION-CO
RECEIVE PROGRAM TO START

The following article, from The
Agricultural Review" published
monthly by the international Con-
gress of Farmers, will be of interest
to all our readers in the agricul-
tural districts, and more especially
those directly interested in agricul-
ture:
"The movement recently started
for the purpose of increasing the con-
sumption of wheat, together with the
revived effort to bring about price
fixing or sterilization by the govern
ment of the UNITED States, has en-
phasized and brought to the atten-
tion of the entire country a situation
which was already well known to
many people.
1.-THE wheat belt is sick. Its far
mers are distressed by the low COM
parative price of their chief product
and by the increased production and
marketing costs. The reaction upon
all agriculture, and consequently up
on all business interests, is unmls-
takably bad This reaction extends
far beyond the confines of the wheat
belt proper. 1t constitutes national
problem-economic, industrial and
political.
"Wheat is quite generally con-
sidered as the key crop the stan
dard by which agricultural pros
perity, and indirectly the general
business welfare, are measured. The
situation calls for the earnest con-
sideration of all wheat growers and
of all business interests.
"The question is, what is the mat
ter with wheat?
The question is obvious. There
is too much wheat The agriculture
of the wheat belt has drifted danger
ously toward a one-crop basis. 1t
is out of balance. There are too
many farms that bring IN little re-
venue except the annual check for
the wheat crop. The very soil is
tired and it's tillers are worn out by
the hopeless effort to make more
acres spell more dollars.
"The time has definitely passed
when wheat can carry all the over
head of an average American farm,
supply the family of the owner or
renter with money to buy the food
supplies for the year, and pay the
cost Of it's own production and mar
keting. That time may never come
certainly it will not until the United
States ceases to be wheat export
ing nation, for the domestic price is
based on the world price, and pro-
tective measures are proving at best
only partially effective. The Ameri
can farmer cannot successfully COM
pete with the cheap land, cheap lab
or, and water transportation of other
countries, unless he can take large
part of the cost of operating his farm
off of his wheat crop.
Hope of relief through govern
mental price fixing is based on a
false theory. Nothing can come of
It, The movement to stimulate con-
sumption may bring results, but
there is a possibility that it will also
encourage additional production, thus
offsetting any good it may do. The
expansion Of credit facilities, while
proper and useful will not Of itself
correct the trouble, nor will any
legislative enactments.
"The fundamental trouble must
be corrected. Nothing else will be
rences of the present situation.
Iu0I0 uO nSCSSOlIy lOl SAPOI
of ~sort-economic, political or
by way of trying out new crops or
new farming practices. 1t has been
abundantly proven that this very re-
gion to which the conditions under
discussion apply is susceptible to a
safe system of crop diversification
and livestock production. All that is
needed is a program, generally ap
piled, which will bring a revenue
every week in the year to supple
ment the wheat check. Poultry,
dairy COWS, and other livestock will
do this. Such program will pro-
vide twelve months productive en-
ployment on the farm instead of two.
The resultant lessened production of I
wheat will cause an increase in price T
in conformity with the law of supply |
and demand.
"At the seventeenth annual session
of the International Farm congress
of America, to be held at Kansas City, |
October 10, II, and IL, this problem
will, with proper cooperation, start
the agriculture of the wheat belt de-
finitely toward the only basis upon
I