The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-08-31


one knows.
Almost everyone who comes back
from Europe tells Of large crops, and
assures us that Russia Will this year
export large quantities of wheat.
do not think many of our~Euro-
pean travellers have an opportunity
to secure reliable information on
this point, but all such stories tend
to have a bearlsh effect ON our own
wheat prices. "A gradual decline in
our exports of grains and meats is
10 be expected. We can not hope
to keep them at the high rate Of re-
cent years. But these exports are
not going to vanish overnight.
Europe will continue to buy large
quantities of US for some time.
Our railroads could help in this
trouble by making some reduction
in freight rates on farm products.
How far the western grain carrying
roads can go in this direction under
their present operating expenses I
am not prepared to say, but the
roads running east from western
primary markets ought to be able to
make some substantial reduction in
freight rates on all grain, -four. live
stock and meat products, especially
road rate men would take the farm
situation to heart and get down ana
study 1t as one of their own pro-
blems, believe they could help O.
great deal.
Economic forces are steadily
grinding away to remedy some OF
the farm troubles. The low price Of
wheat this year will in itself bring
some reduction in acreage. This is
lusmlIBdep eul 40 pslBoIpuI 6EIssTo
report on farmers intentions to
plant, which was made public Au-
gust Is. The acreage Of winter
wheat has been greater than usual
in the States east Of the Missouri,
paying better than corn. Now corn
: more profitable. In the spring
and winter wheat belts proper a
forced reduction in acreage is COM
ing, because thousands of wheat
growers who have been barely hang
ing on will be driven out by the
ruinous prices Of this year. \ II Is a
terribly hard situation for the indi-
vidual, but those who remain will
be benefited.
High wages in the cities and low
wages and prices on the farms are
forcing a large movement from the
farm to the city. Under conditions
which now prevail this seems to be
high wages and low prices more and
more farmers are adjusting their
production to what they can grow
with their own labor. All this tends
to bring farm production more in
line with what the consumers will
buy at fair price. .
I'm general, farm conditions are
better than they were a year or two
years ago. The legislation passed
by Congress has been helpful. The
new cooperative law gives farmers
assurance that they can go ahead
and organize cooperative associa
tions without being prosecuted for
combining. The agricultural credits
for operating and marketing pur-
poses can be borrowed freely and at
fair rates. The packers and stock
yards act and the future trading act
give assurance Of free, open and
competitive markets for grain and
livestock, and for he first time Co
operative associations of farmers can
operate on these markets. The Fed
eral warehouse act Is an essential
part Of the credit machinery. and
the number of such warehouses Is
| increasing rapidly.
THE Department Of Agriculture
has been able to extend its helpful
activities during the past year. Our
special agents in Europe have been
helpful in holding foreign markets.
Federal inspection at shipping and
receiving points, dissemination of
Information on better marketing
methods, extension of reliable mar
ket news by wire and mail, all help
to market to better advantage.
When all Is said and done the
fundamental fact remains to be dealt
with. Agriculture and industry and
commerce must be brought into
more nearly normal relationship and
until this is done these acute agri-
cultural troubles will develop one
| after the other"