Evening star., 1931-06-16

time storage is said to be costing about
$1,000, 900 q month"
In connection with the forecasts for
the season, there Is discussion of the
results of the work of the Federal
Farm Board as it withdraws from pur-
chaSes Of the grain. The Des Moines
Register, indorSing a statement by Sam
H. Thompson Of the board in con.
demnation of "looSe talk about the
boards activities In encouraging the
formation Of farmers cooperative mar.
keting organizations" says: 'It is silly
TO say that this work represents an at.
tempt to put the Government in bust.
ness. It is the farmers who 60 into
business. The Government endeavors
to help them do it. Over the
Farm Boards buying and selling Of
wheat, which has been discontinued,
there was some room for disagreement,
or at least for misunderstanding and
peevishnesS. But when any one con-
dernnS the principal work Of the board
that OF sponsoring cooperative mar
keting-he nearly always can be set
down as one who has a personal ak
70 grind. This work is not partisan
or political activity; it is a simple ef-
fort Of proved value to help the farmer
to bis feet economically. It should be
supported as SUCH"
~ *&
THE farmer Is not to be led into
cooperative cultivation, but into mar
keting, in place of being wholly at the
mercy Of extraneous marketing machin-
cry and organization" declares the
Topeka Daily Capital. with the belief
that "the farm agitation started more
than 10 years ago as marketing idea,
and it ends that way in the present
Federal farm marketing act" The
Capital quotes Mr.. Thompson to the
effect that 'the cooperative program
is making substantial progress and
growing as rapidly as we might rea-
sonably expect" and addsA "The CO.
operatives are doing business. They
have borrowed $200.000,000. and paid
back half of it." In further indorse-
ment Of the Federal board, the Topeka
editor remarks, with the definite
close OF the Farm Boards marketing
operations in wheat through the Grain
Stabilization Corporation. the market
plunged ID cents, which is testimony Of
the first order to the effect Of the
boards policy"
Statements by Charles C. league,
resigning as vice chairman Of the Farm
Board. are quoted by the Newark Eve
ming News, particularly his assertion
that the board has enabled co-opera-
tive farm associations to persist" and
that otherwise they would have gone
TO the wall" The Evening News COM
tinues: While conceding the risks have
been great. and not denying there may
be ultimate heavy loss of Federal
money. he Is convinced the attempt has
been worth the cost. What Mr. league
says is true. This country has spent
$500, ,0O0, 900 in way that may not
have been economically sound, still it
met an emergency. 1t saved thousands
OF farmers from ruin and kept many
banks in the grain belt from going to
the WALL with consequences no ofsS
likes to consider. A loss has got tn
be pocketed, but it was worth all 1t
cost. A solution Of the wheat problem
has not been found yet, but the agri-
cultural industry will find one because
1t has to-"
Recognizing the results achieved by
the board in the fact that domestic
prices were maintained steadily at the
nxed level" the Kansas City Times
concludes: Low prices for the coming
crop undoubtedly will result in sharp
acreage reduction in this country, but
that factor cannot become effective
until next FAN. Poor condition of Ca
madam wheat this Summer should be
. strengthening influence, and crop
failures elsewhere IN the world are a
possibility. But as the Farm Board
ends its two years of sterilization activ-
.ties II faces the biggest job of all
the task Of disposing Of the remains
Of the most gigantic grain operation
in history. Not until this Is accom-
plished will the country be in q posi-.
ton to weigh gains against losses, and
to determine the net result Of the Cow
ernment's great experiment In tenn.
porary price-fixing"
Farm relief legislation should be re-
opened at the next session of Congress"
advises the st. Paul Pioneer Press.
Important proof has been given that
marketing control is feasible in a msn-
nere to extend to agriculture benefits
analogous to those received by industry
through the protective tariff. 1t re-
mains for Congress to take advantage
u the. lessons of this experience"