Evening star., 1925-12-07
CUT IN FREIGHT RATE
ON FARM PRODUCTS
URGED BY JARDINE

OIlOED - JHtlOIhG l.
continued from First Page.l
tural industry may expect recurring
periods when taxes will consume an
undue proportion of farm income"
Earnings Nc. Considered.
Farm taxes" the report said, are
chiefly general property taxes levied
~ the States and the local units on
the basis of capital value. and they
bear little or no direct relation to
current farm earnings"
One of the most important factors
which contribute to the excessive tax
alton of agriculture is the tendency
of many States to improve the public
schools and public roads largely at
the expense of the local districts"
Natural development of cooperative
organizations as a specific need in
agriculture, the report asserted, makes
it seems obvious that governmental
supervision and control are not de-
sirable. Excessive regulation, it said,
will smother the movement.
What the department is already
doing" the report stated, indicates
the nature of the service 1t can give
TO cooperation. 1t is studying mar
of success and failure in cooperation,
advising farmers, aiding them IN eX
tending their markets, giving market
services, and nj general is helping pro
ducers correlate their production
plans.
Department Ready to Aid.
What the Government can do
further to assist the cooperative
movement depends upon the funds
available for such work and the de-
mands of the cooperative associations.
The department stands ready to ex-
tend it's services to the full extent
of it's present facilities. and to recon-
mend such enlargements of its re-
search work and services as shall ap-
pear advisable after consultation with
cooperative organizations and care
full study of their needs"
The Secretary criticized the policy
of permitting the public domain to
be sporadically occupied by home
steaders in holdings of uniform size
with little reference to the capacity
by such holding to maintain a fam
lily except as determined by the in
experienced settler.
Furthermore, allowing the unap-
propriated and unreserved lands Of the
public domain to be used as grazing
commons" the report continued. has
greatly increased the instability of
the live stock industry of the West.
Denuded range lands can be restored
under a system of regulated grazing.
However, it is impossible to employ
such methods of utilization on the
$50 900 900 acres of unallotted and un-
reserved public domain under our eX-
listing land policy"
Defends Cotton Reports.
Defending the cotton crop report
ing system, recently under attack. the
Secretary suggested a reduction in the
frequency OF the reports, now issued
twice a month from July to Decem-
ber Criticisms of these reports, he
said. are largely due to a misunder-
standing of the nature of the early
forecasts which are often taken to
be estimates of final ginnings, instead
of merely interpretative indications" ]"
ITO avoid misunderstanding with
respect to these early forecasts" the
report said, 1t has been suggested
that the cotton forecasts during July
and August be omitted. the Depart
ment simply reporting the acreage in
cultivation and the condition and prog
reSS of the crop during these mont hS
and that, beginning in September
forecasts be made which, instead of
being stated as a single figure as at
present, be issued as a range fore
cast which would indicate the proba BILE
upper and lower limits within which
the final ginnings were likely to fall
1t is believed that if these suggestions
were carried out. some of the present
criticism might be avoided without
diminishing in any way the value of
the official cotton reports"
Rubber Discussed.
Efforts of the Agriculture Depart
ment to overcome the rubber shortage
by introduction of rubber growing in
this country were discussed in the re
port, which said that the department
is now experimenting with various
kinds of rubber trees.
In it's study of the boil weevil prob
lem, the department has learned that
the cotton plant throws off certain
odors which attract the pest, and one
of these odors, having a certain attrac-
ton for the boil weevil, has been
isolated so that the department hopes
to be able to develop a synthetic ordor
as bait for hte boil weevil to attract
them away from the cotton plant"
In a general review of the past
wears farm conditions, the report OBJ
served that the heavy ret movement
of the rural population away from
farms has been checked, and that
noteworthy progress has been made
among farmers in the liquidation of
their Indebtedness. Agriculture pro
duction for the year as a whole was
we'll balanced, and measured in terms
of income, the general economic posi-
ton of agriculture promises to be lat
least equal to, if not slightly better
than that of last year" Gross income
from grains amounted to $1,000, 600 900,
compared with S1.400 100000 in the
crop year of 1923-24. Gross income
from meat animals amounted to ap-
proximately $1,000, 100000, compared
with $1,000, 100000 in 1924 Farm
production generally last year increas
ed, in revenue, per cent over the
previous year, from $11 800. 1000 tc
S12, 100, 100000. these incomes being
we'll above those earned during the
period Of depression, but below the
earnings of normal years. Farmers
are receiving better prices for then
| products, the report said, than at any
| time in the last five years.
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