The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-02-23
Says SEVERE
CROP CUT now ONLY
Hope FOR AGRARIAN
Points to Case Of Walnut Crow
ers, Who Control 90 Per
Cent Of Their Crop

New York, Feb. 23.-(H9-The farm
ers' only salvation, In the opinion Of
Alexander Legge, whose pending re-
tirement from the Craftsmanship OF
the Farm Board has been announced,
is drastic restriction of production"
The government" Legge will say
in the issue Of 1.-The Country Home"
to be published Tuesday, has backed
the farm board with q fund of half
3, billion dollars, and the question is,
What has the Farm Board done with
that money. and what does it hope to
do for the farmer?'
For 81 months without Interrupt
ton the visible supply Of wheat in this
country has been greater than it was
in the same month of the preceding
year. In July 1926, the surplus was
around 100, 0O0, 600 bushels. That was
too much. But since then it has
grown steadily until in July, 1880, it
was 274,O0O, 900 bushels.
Wheat Market Hopeless
1.-The world market for American
wheat is pretty hopeless. American
farmers, to sell their wheat abroad
now, would have to accept 20 cents
less than they are getting at home.
The only thing that is keeping for
eign wheat from coming into this
country now is our tariff Of AZ cents.
"Our farmers must lower their
costs of production OH wheat and
corn like the men with the steel fac
tories aid the automobile factories.
But they also must adjust their pro-
duction to the potential demand. The
farmer has never done that. 80.
1T seems to be hard for the farm
er to realize he can make more by
raising less. OF course, if the price
is the same he will make more money
when he raises 1000 bushels than
when he raises 300 bushels. But if
he raises 1000 bushels instead of 300
when 800 is all he IAN sell the price
won't be the same.
Look at the potato crop. The
market can normally consume AGO.
100000 bushels. If the farmers raise
10 per cent less than that, they get
a high price and make money. IT
they raise 10 per cent more they have
to accept a ruinouS price.
Livestock Gives Example
Right now we have an Illustration
of the livestock industry. Hog pro-
duction in recent years has been
pretty we'll balanced with demand,
and prices have resisted the decline.
There has been OvefprOduction OF
sheep and prices have collapsed.
Various plans have been offered
to handle the export of the so-called
exportable surplus Of wheat. We'll,
my suggestion is TO abolish 1t. WHAT'S
the use of raising an exportable sur
plus when there is no place to export
it profitsbly? The farmers must bring
about a condition where American
farmers will no longer raise wheat
for export
How are We going TO do that?
Well, there is only one way-by or
yanizetion. And this brings us to
the major effort of the farm board.
II suppose a lot Of people will threw
up their hands and say: For Lords
sake" You don't plan to start some
more farmers organizations. Haven't
the farmers got enough orgailzatlon
already?
Backs National A%ffiliation
Yves. plenty. But what must DC
done is to encourage the farmers to
ioin their local cooperatives and to
encourage the local cooperatives tc
become affiliated with the national
association. When a majority OF the
wheat growers belong, the farmers
marketing problem will be well Oh
the way to a solution.
will the farmers join? That Il
the question and on it's answer hinges
the success OF the whole plan. Othel
farmers have done 1t in other crops
than wheat. Take the walnut grow.
ers They control 90 per cent Of thell
cron. And they sold their crop las
year, in spite OF all the depression a
the best price in its history. Ant
this wears crop opened at a cent ane
q, half higher than last year.