The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-07-23
EARMERSBACK
ON THEIR FEET,
JARDINE FINDS
Secretary of Agriculture Sees
Little'Dcmand for Relief
Legislation
GIVES REPORT ON TOUR
Declares Board of Trade
Gamblers Must BE
Eliminated
GIVES REPORT ON TOUR

Washington. July 23.-R-"Agri.
culture is safely convalescent," Sec
rctary Jardine declared in review
Of the situation as seen from his
eight weeks western tour.
Farmers are getting out Of the
Shadow of bankruptcy" he asserted
and there is a return Of confidence
In short, he added. agriculture ap-
pears to be "gradually getting its
house in order again." after the post
war disruption.
Declaring the farmers themselves
were competent to work out their
own problems. he said that II he got
the right impression there will not
be any great demand for farm legis-
lation. Many Of the farmers told
him "to let it alone. rs things were
going along pretty we'll"
"Cattle and hog men are better
off than they have been since 1920
and didn't see any sheep men down
at the mouth" he declared. "If the
wheat men are careful in marketing
their crops they will get good prices
and they are learning not to flood
the market.
Corn Belt Improved
"Condtions in the corn belt are
reversed from what they were a
year ago when hogs were still
cheap and corn poor and expensive
crop. Indications are for large
cotton crop and favorable income
in the belt as whole.
"Therc are certain dark spots, how
ever, in the general agricultural pic
ture, it is true. The southwest is
struggling under prolonged and SER
ious drouth. The east does not show
marked improvement. This region
was hit last year by low prices for
potatoes, hay and other important
crops and the dairy industry has had
economic difficulties"
Regarding the proposed changes in
the operation of the Chicago Board
Of Trade to prevent wide price fluc-
tuations, Secretary Jardine declared
that he had reason to believe that
the board itself would effect the
necessary readjustments in trading
methods.
"But," he emphasized, "they are
not going to repeat what they did
during the first three months this
year. If they don't do something,
then something will be done. know
there is a lot Of gambling there, but
it is difficult to get facts on gamb-
lers."
Wants Marketing Laws
The aim of the department, he
said, is to put the board in the hands
of the "good men" constituting it.
He called attention to a demand,
from the 600 members outside of
Chicago. for "Chicago to put its
house in order," and advocated a
clearing house for the exchange
similar to bank clearing houses.
Secretary Jardine reiterated that
he favored some marketing machin-
cry for the farmers and that it
might be necessary for some legis-
lation along this line. although he
believed the farmers themselves
would either work out some method
Of disposing of their surplus pro-
ducts or avoid creating surpluses.
An illustration on what farmers
can do to prevent over production,
he said, is the fact that this year
wheat farmers reduced their acreage
by 20,OO0,0O0, which was put in other
crops. =
something will be necessary in
the way of legislation, as we cant
get down any machinery that will
put US on easy street at one fell
swoop," the secretary concluded.