Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-13
COTTON CURB LEFT
UP TO GOVERNORS
Farm Board Leaves the Exc.
cution of Plan to
States.
CONTINUED From First Page. )

Continued From First Page)
dead line" for the acceptance of this
proposition, the board was confident
that two weeks would afford ample time
to work out the details Of the scheme.
Chairman Stone said the board has no
authority to destroy one-third OF Its
own holdings of 100000 bales of sta
biliZation cotton. There is no contem-
plation of this in the plan since it
would require an act Of Congress.
The proposal of the board was worked
out within the last two days, 1t was said.
without the knowledge of affiliated CO.
operatives. Chairman Stone denied the
offer was in the nature OF a threat
and added that if the State executives
do not accept the plan, the board would
then have to consider what else could
be done to meet the emergency.
Offer Meets DiSfavOr.
Within a short time after the board
had sent kilograms to the Governors
urging prompt adoption of the propo-
sition reports began filtering into
Washington indicating that the offer
was not viewed with favor in many
Southern regions.
At jackson, Miss, Gov Bilbo de-
scribed the boards new plan as AN
economic waste" adding that cit will
cost the farmer a million dollars in
time and labor to pillow up" a third
of their crop, as the Farm Board sug-
gests.
The proposition was regarded as the
boards most important move--border
ing almost on deSperation-sir sta
bilization operations were attempted m
1929 in an effort to peg sagging prices.
The offer was made to the Cover
nors of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas,
California. Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi, New Mexico, North Caro-
lima, Oklahoma. South Carolina, Ten
nessee and Texas.
The announcement that Alexander
Legge Of Chicago. former Farm Board
chairman, and Cason j. Galloway La
Grange, Ga, had been elected directors
OF the Cotton Sterilization Corporation,
to give added confidence" to the sta
Utilization work, preceded the boards
cotton program a few hours. Wheat and
cotton sterilization operations with the
boards $500, 600, 900 revolving fund were
initiated under Legge's Craftsmanship
and he has been IN close touch with
its details.
Legge Acts as Adviser.
Legge will be a director at large" in
the corporation being drafted" to help
stabilize prices, without pay. He is in
dependently wealthy, however, due to
his connections with the International
Harvester Co. He retired from the board
last March, but has spent much Of his
time in Washington since then.
Legge's connection with the corpora
ton will be chiefly of an advisory ma
ture, it was explained. His experience
viii be utilized in the efforts not only
to stabilize prices, but also to dispose
of the huge crop this year, which threat
ems Southern planters in the face Of
stangnant markets.
1t was announced by the Farm Board
yesterday that a letter had been sent
to Chairman David A. Brown of the
China Famine Relief Committee sug-
costing the board would gladly entertain
any proposals for the purchase of sur
plus wheat to feed starving Chinese.
Brown had earlier suggested such
means of disposing of surplus stocks.
The question Is before the Grain Sta
bilization Corporation.
At the same time. it developed, the
board has not yet received the purported
offer Of Germany for the purchase of
some $4,000, 900 bushels Of sterilization
wheat
With respect to the cotton program.
Chairman Stone, who had estimated a
carryover of IL 900, 900 bales unless the
situation is met, said that this situa-
ton occurs in spite CT the 10 per cent
reduction in acreage last Spring"
Drastic price declines, ne said, would
be followed by direct disaster to cotton
producing States and indirect disaster
to the nation" unless abandonment Of
one-third of the crop could be obtained
IN an organized and orderly fashion, so
farmers might secure better return
from the remainder CT the crop.
Need Drastic Remedy.
THE board recognizes the telegram
added, that this suggestion calls for
drastic remedy for serious emergency,
but cornmends TO you the thought that
major operation Of this kind rather
than attempts at lesser measures is
now needed
From the earliest press dispatches
from the South came indications Of an
unfavorable reaction 10 this surprise
move on the part of the Farm Board
Cotncident with Gov Bllbo's attack,
the Texas House of Representatives
ordered an investigation of charges
made by Representative WeStbrook of
Waco against the Texas Cotton Co.
operative Association, affiliated with the
Farm Board. In instigsting the move
Westbrook predicted Carl Williams would
be removed by Congress He charged