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

The aGRiCUL ORAL 81 VA ION
Speaking OF the wheat situation
Secretary of Agriculture Wallace
said:
The ruinously low price Of wheat
Is not a new agricultural disease. II
is just one more acute symptom OIL
the general trouble from which agri
culture is suffering. The disease
itself Is the distorted relationship
prices of other commodities. This
is not new diagnosis. II has been
pointed out from time to time for
the past two and one half years.
The sooner people engaged in COM
merce and industry frankly recog-
nize the trouble, the better 1t will be
for all of us. The farmer could get
along fairly we'll with present prices
OF what he has to sell II prices OF
What he must buy were down ac-
cordinglyA But prices OF other
things remain high That Is what
hurts. Wages in industry and on
the railroads are almost twice as
high as before the war. Taxes are
are from SO to 70 per cent higher;
kinds, are from SO to 100 per cent
above pre-war prices All OF these
are items in the farmers cost OF
production. Until a fair relation
ship is restored between agriculture
and industry and commerce., agri-
culture will be upset and will have
reason to complain. II the present
plan Of prices are commodities other
than agricultural is to be maintain
ed, then to have general prosperity
agricultural prices must be brought
up. That probably means that agri-
cultue must be gotten of the inter
national market.
With wheat selling for consider
ton, hundreds of thousands OF
specialized wheat farmers are hav-
ing a mighty hard time Of it. In the
diversified farming region east Of
the Missouri River wheat is but one
of several crops and the trouble Is
not so serious. But in the spring
wheat belt Of the Northwest and
the winter wheat belt of the South
west where wheat is the main crop,
wheat growers are suffering severe
ly. Thousands Of wheat farmers will
go bankrupt. Other thousands will
be able to hold on only by the prac-
tice of the most grinding economy.
1T is not long since the corn
experience. So also the cattle grow
err of the range States, (who is not
yet out of the woods), the potato
grower. some Of the fruit growers,
the rice growers. The case Of the
wheat grower is made worse be
cause most of our wheat goes into
the channels of trade. However. be-
cause of the low price, less Of It will
be sold as wheat this year. and more
Of it fed.
THE pressing question is. what
can be done to help the wheat grow
ers get more nearly the cost OF pro-
duction for this years CROP Some
urge that the Government ought to
Ak a fair price. That could be done
only by the Government preparing
to buy unlimited quantities at the
price fixed. Others suggest that the
Government go into the market and
buy 200, 100000 bushels Of wheat and
store 1T, on the theory that the TAX
ing off the market of that quantity
would send up the price to a fair
figure. | am not hopeful of good re-
suits from either of these plans.
How would the Government dispose
OF the surplus accumulated? What
effect would either action have on
wheat acreage? What effect would
II haHe on Tic ACREAGE anu pEIce VI
other grains and of livestock? Would
the same policy be adopted in case
of ruinously low prices for other
farm products? The wheat situa-
ton is bad enough in all conscience,
and certainly the majority of our
people would favor any practical
method Of helping, but we. ought to
be reasonable sure that the remedy
attempted will do the farmer more
good than harm and will not make
our situation worse instead Of bet
ter.
Whether these acute situations
might be relieved, II the Govern
met should set u up b an agency n; with
plus farm products in It's discretion
and provide it with ample funds. l