White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-02-25
A new DAY FOR AGRICULTURE DAWNS IN
the PACIFIC NORTHWEST

going to attempt to quote you figures
in this respect, but I think you will
agree with me that there is better
cost situation today by a consider
able margin.
Then, again, and without doubt
the most important of all, there is
a better price for the commodity.
What brought about disaster? High
cost of production; low prices for
the commodity. That caused the
misery and the obstruction which
swept over agricultural America.
Today, we have a lower cost OF
production and a better price for
the commodity.
Who can wonder as to whether or
not it is profitable to raise wheat at
Z. price Of $1.f5 to $l.2o7 l do not
know of any wheat farmer WHO
will indicate that he cannot make
substantial returns from that figure.
And I am going to say here and
now that on basis of fair ex-
change value, the price OF wheat
should be around Sl.4O to $1.50.
But at the figure it is, there is
money in the industry.
Again the question of raising hogs.
We are not major hog country;
nevertheless we produce lot of
pork. The top price today, I see
from reading our local papers, is
$12.75. You here who are experience
ed in the business of the farm, do
you find anything wrong with hogs
at $l2.75 per cwt.fS If you de-, IN n
you had better quit the industry,
because you are not going to ex-
perience much higher prices That
is a good price. There is no bad
period prevailing insofar as that
price is illustrative.
Dairy products. Our dairy industry
is one of the mammoth industries OF
the Pacific Northwest. It has never
experienced the difficulties that
other industries have experienced.
Today we find the milk price at
$2.4o to $3.50; butterfat prices at
Acc to 48c, which is admitted by
the dairymen-and it is sometimes
hard for class Of people to admit
that their business is profitable-as
being really satisfactory.
I might go orl-there are many
illustrations that might be mentioned.
You might think that I am overlook
ing the fruit industry, Last year was
not a good apple year, as we all
understand. However, I clipped to-
day from Seattle paper an article
under a Wenatchee heading which
sets forth in glowing terms the pros
perity Of the Wenatchee territory.
I do not fully agree with the article,
but I do believe that with the better
prices that we are now securing, the
apple industry this year, in apple
territory where sound business pro-
duction and marketing were secur-
ed, is going to return satisfactory
income While It Is not what we
can expect, it is not what we should
expect, nevertheless there is moth
ing in it to predict adversely and
saster, asa some seek to think pre-
vail.
i mentioned a little of the moral
of the farmer. That is an important
t.ling. A better feeling, a better un-
derstanding, desire to stay in the
business, desire to go forward, a
belief that he is a big business man
Of the world, belief that he is the
man who is conducting one of our
greatest necessities and that which
can be rightfu1ly called Americans
greatest industry. That is important,
and I find that is very particularly
something to be optimistic about. :.
Let's look at real estate and the
movement of lands: A farm in the
Pacific Northwest is something that
no man need be ashamed to sell to
another. 1t is an investment that has
a fu.are. 1t is an investment that is
sound, and When the selection is
properly made it is an investment
that is going to make profit.
We. in the Federal Land Bank,
accumulated land through the period
Of disaster that I have referred to.
We accumulated it a-plenty. We
offer no 3rologies. 1t is a condition
which confronted us and all others
in the same game. But we are now
liquidating that accumulation. l want
to give you a few figures. I want
you to understand from these figures
that the farmers are hopeful and
ready to invest in farm lands. For
the thirteen months past, closing
yesterday, the last day of January,
we sold S1,98l,84 worth of land in
the states of Oregon, Washington,
Idaho and Montana, the sales being
pretty well scattered, with possible
concentration in the Yakima Valley
and in the territory of Southern
Idaho. We have received in cash in
connection with these sales a sum
approxinating 100000, the remain
der being on terms favorable to the
purchaser and seller. This seems to
us another piece of conclusive evil
dence that conditions are good.
The poultry industry has grown
to be mamoth thing. was told
before I came here, by an authority.
that we producing in the United
States a billion dollars worth of
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