Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-16
The Political Mill.
BY C. Could Lincoln.

.
Is taking on decidedly political favor
just now. out In Kansas, the greatest
wheat producing State in the country,
the farmerS-all Of them, nearly, Re-
publicans-are up in arms because the
price of wheat hes fallen until here
and there the commodity has beer sold
for Is cents a bushel. In the South
west, Oklahoma and Texas and Arkan-
sas, wheat has hit the bottom, too.
In those States the farmers are all
Democrats. The wheat farmers of
Kansas are sore because the admin
istration is not putting up the price
of their wheat for them. The press is
full OF reports of the aroused KansaS
farmers and what they may do TO the
G. o. p. next year. That's the word
from the Winter wheat belt.
From the Northwest, however, where
the Spring wheat is raised, there Is
different story. The farmers in the
Northwest, the Dakotas, Minnesota, etc,
are not so agitated over the Federal
Farm Boards refusal to announce that
it will not make any sales Of its wheat
holdings for the next four months or
more. Perhaps this Is because their
crops have not yet begun to come IN:
They may take a different view OF
things in another month or two. At
any rate, the farmers in the Northwest
are giving in some measure their sup
port to the Farm Board in its refusal
to change its announced policy, which
Is not to sell more than 5000, 900 bushels
in month Of its surplus wheat hold
ings and not to sell any at present
prices. The wheat farmers In the
Northwest are somewhat inclined TO
look on those OF Kansas and the South
west as the cause of most of the troubles
over wheat. causing a tremendous sur
plus in the wheat crop each year.
But even in Kansas. it is reported,
The farmers are not all down on tlG
Farm Board, for many of them have
joined the co-operativeS which have
been greatly aided by the Federal Farm
Board, and these co-operatives are
backing, IN considerable measure, the
board and its policies. So the members
of Congress who are urging the Farm
Board to declare it will sell none of
its wheat holdings for a stated period
OF time are somewhat at a loss what
TO do now. And it is reported reliably
that the board has received messages
from prominent members Of Congress
in the Northwest not to give in to the
demands made by the Vice President,
Senator Capper of Kansas and Senator
Watson OF Indiana.
4
In the meantime. the administration
is hoping for a better break for the
farmer. 1t may come If the wheat
crops in some Of the other big produc-
ing countries fall short. There has
been evidence that Canada, for ex-
ample, because OF a serious drought,
will produce very much smaller wheat
crop than usual, perhaps not more
than half crop" and from Australia
and the Argentine come reports of crop
trouble too. The administration would
be delighted to help the Kansas farm
ers and those of the other wheat pro-
ducing states if there can be any way
found to give such aid. The President
has already issued a statement de-
nounctng the spectators in the wheat
market who have been selling the
market short II there is any way in
which the Government can assist the
farmers to get more time on their in
debtedneSs. 1t undoubtedly will throw its
influence in that direction The farm
ers are urging moratorium. and seek
the machinery manufacturers and 9TH
ers with whom they do bu5iness.
~
Alexander Legge, head of the Inter-
national Harvester Co. ands the chair
man Of the Federal Farm Board. who
is now back with the harvester COM
panv. writing to the Kansas City Star,
declared that his company has in
cd ;Ee
! the farmers all the leeway in the COL
lection Of debts that they could
May 81 our collection managers in
the Winter wheat producing area were
instructed not to bring pressure for i'm
mediate payment upon any farmer de-
string to hold his wheat until the price
improved Mr.. Legge said. If there
is any farmer Indebted to us who finds
himself in this situation. all he has to
do is to take the matter up with our
nearest collection Office which handles
his notes and satisfactory arrangements
can be made
The wide variety of conditions that
have TO be met in a situation of this
kind makes the handling of it more
| complicated than might appear to you
at first glance.
Ordinary business prudence and
fairness entitle us to some protection
creditors who will not refrain from
pressing him for immediate settlement,
which means disposing of the grain at
i once without regard to price. In many
cases we have been carrying the farm
erS for several years and it is mani
testify unfair that some other creditor
who Is a newcomer in the picture
should step in and collect his bill in
full. leaving us to carry the whole load.
This makes it necessary for US TO
ask the debtors to make some provision
whereby We shall have reasonable as
surance OF receiving fair treatment
when the grain Is finally disposed Of.
Sometimes this is done by segregating a
portion Of the grain, either by bill of
sale or mortgage: or. in case We already
have a security in the crop, by an &C
acknowledgement on the farmers part that
a definite quantity of the grain he is
carrying Is the identical grain he has
pledged us as security. 1t must be per-
fectly obvious that without some evil
dence that we have a lien on the grain
or an acknowledged interest in it. other
creditors might attach it and sell the
crop without consulting either the
farmer or ourselves.
Z. *
Other creditors of the farmers, how
ever, have not been so considerate.
Some Of the farmers have written here
saying that collection agents have been
on their farms while the wheat was
being harvested and have insisted that
they be paid Immediately, or that
part of the crop be sold instantly, to
give them part payment, if not the
whole amount
X X
The Democrats are sitting back at
present. waiting to see what the devel-
opments are to be this Fall and Winter,
not alone in the wheat fields Of the
West, but in the industrial centers of
the country. Every now and then
Democrat breaks out with the state
Toent iaSuad hv the Dann0rro No