Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-22

n r is a venerable tradition Of American poll
tics and economics that Kansas RAISES more
wheat and more he'll" than any other
State, but only within the past two or
three years has the suspicion developed
that perhaps the two activities are related
or even synonymous.
Kansas is mentioned only as q symbol of
what has been going on throughout the vast
expanse of the great American prairie, where
the farmers have gone on and on raising wheat
and even more wheat until they are now drown
ing in a sea Of waving yellow grain while their
leaders crying for help.
Just this is written the wheat market Is in
an extraordinary boom movement. Prices have
advanced nearly 200 per cent above the sea-
sons record breaking low figures. Already
there Is talk of possible dollar wheat" as
though that once despised figure would solve
all the farmers troubles.
To account for this unlooked-for advance,
Farm Board officials have three suggestions:
Excessive rainfall in France and Germany,
which caused a substantial reduction in the
wheat crops harvested there.
A tremendous amount Of American wheat
fed to live stock during the past Summer be-
cause It was too cheap to SELL
Acreage reductions of 30 per cent in Australia
and 20 per cent in the Argentine.
n 10 one pretends to know whether this boom
~ market will last or whether it Is just an
other speculative furry Some Of the farm belt
Senators and Representatives are inclined to
be skeptical about its BENEFITS to the farmer
because they say, most of the farmers wheat
has passed out of his hands and the higher
prices will not help him.
On the other hand, Government records
show that last year nearly 800 000, 900 bushels
Of wheat we're sold by farmers from November
to February. If the increased prices really
help the farmer they should add hundreds of
millions to his spending power and thus react
to the benefit of the country generally.
Wheat is so intertwined with politics that
those who really know something about the sit
uation hesitate to voice their opinions freely
for publication. However inquiry among Gov
eminent officials, farm organization leaders and
others in close touch with the situation leads
TO two very distinct impressions:
I. The present ,0heGt crisis is entirely nn-
related to the current World toide depression
2. Barring something like a tOorld -tOidc
crop failure. the problem is not going to be
solued so long so many farmers continue
to produce so much more DheGt than is
needed
One OF the very highest officials of the Fed
eral Government is the authority for the state
ment that the depression has had nothing to
do with the dep.orable plight of the wheat
farmer.
TOR many years there has been an expansion
] of the wheat acreage in the United States.
Irrigation and the application of scientific
methods have made 1t possible to raise wheat
on literally millions of acres which were once
deemed unsuited for that purpose.
This expansion was approaching the danger
point before the World War, but that conflict,
by turning a major part of Europe from pro-
sauctive pursuits, made it possible for the Amer
lean farmer to go on raising more wheat with
cut Cutting the world markets.
As the war progressed and the demand for