Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-13
CROP RESTRICTION
POLICY ATTACKED
Opponents of Farm Board
Plan Say Move Has Piled
Up Surplus.
BY J. C. ROYLE.

Wordy warfare Is being waged here
not only between the Government and
business men, but between departments
OF the Government as to the value
OF restriction of farm products.
The Federal Farm Board is vigor-
ously urging reduction of crop acreage
by the farmers. Opponents of this plan
assert 1t has resulted in the piling up
OF surplus OF wheat and cotton and
some other products which would have
moved into consumption had it not been
for the efforts of the board. They
point out that what the board proposes
is exactly the thing which President
Hoover, as Secretary of Commerce,
fought bitterly-that is Government re-
striction Of production. This was di-
rected principally at the English rub
years regulated output under the Ste
venson plan.
Coffee and Rubber.
Similar opposition has been voiced
against the valoriZation of coffee by the
Brazilian government. British authori-
ties, with regard to rubber, now assert
that restriction in any shape or form
is bad for the industry and that the
real answer to the problem consists
in encouraging new sources of outlet
for rubber.
Secretary of the Interior Wilbur, in
carrying out the administration plan
for restricting oil production and con-
serving natural resources, refused per-
mits to prospect for oil on Government
lands. A court decision has just held
that he was without authority to do
this. Restriction in the production Of
petroleum has never been entirely sat-
iSfactory, since the various factors in
the industry could not get together on
a plan for all to reduce output. Okla
homa Is now under a reduced produce
ton quota, but this State order was re-
quested and backed by the producers
themselves. The final effect of the gas
wasteage law in California, designed
to conserve Oil and gas and prevent
overproduction, is still uncertain, with
further court action to come.
Men in textile trades admit that re-
striction of production has not been
effective in bringing about prosperity
in that field. They point out, how
ever, that this situation Is due to the
fact that the country Is overmilled
and that many Of the plants are anti
quated and impossible to operate on an
economical basis.
Farm Boards Position.
The Farm Board announces emphat-
ically that it does not advocate or sup
port the reclamation projects which
would add cultivated acreage to farm
lands. On the other hand, the Depart
ment of the Interior Is active in the
development or reclamation projects.
Labor leaders naturally are strongly
opposed to curtailment of production
and workers today count more with
business executives than they have ever
counted in the past. This is because
the executives realize that the workers
offer them the best market for the
articles produced-and If the workers
are not prosperous these articles are
not sold. According to the American
Federation of Labor, the first quarter
of 1890 saw more men out Of work than
any three months in the last five years.
It holds that business would have re-
covered before this If there had been
no restriction of production and I'M
sequence.