The Washington times., 1931-07-06
PARLEY ENDS
! IN CHAGR|N
| FOR BOTH
Kansans Spent 2 FruitIeSS
Hours Urging Board Hold
! Grain Off World Market
By THEODORE TILLER

Dy AAAANANAS
Fresh from the discontenUed and
price-depresSed wheat belt, Of
which Kansas is the strongest
link, Vice President Charles Cur
tbs and Senator Arthur Capper
conferred for two hours today
with members of the Federal
Farm Board and were unable to
shake the boards announced in
tention to throw on the domestic
and foreign markets during the
next year "a cumulative maxi
mum of 5,0O0,OOO,0O0 bushels
month" from the enormous re-
serve purchased and held by this
Government agency.
The best "compromiSe" obtain
able by the two KansanS, who
spoke with much feeling, was
reiteration of the July l state
ment by the board that it would
not begin to unload "at present
prices" But that was SubStan-
TALLY promised in the original
statement, and the 5000, ,OOO, 600
bushels a month, on an average
monthly basis, virtually stands as
the sales standard, work it out
as the board will.
Curtis Disappointed
The Vice President was plainly
disappointed, II not miffed, as he
and Senator Capper emerged
from the conference room in
which they had been clOseted
with Chairman James C. Stone
and Carl Williams.
Mr.. Curtis made the statement
for everybody and was incisiVe
and brief about it. The
habitually more placid Capper
stood by, with just a word or so
at the end to express his chagrln
and the Kansas belief that Gov
ernment-bought wheat ought to
be held until the price to the
farmer attains "85 cents to a
dollar"
1t Is now netting the farmer
S3 or S5 cents, much less than
the cost of production, according
to both Curtis and Capper.
Incidentally, it is not recol-
lected that a Vice President of
the United States has made be-
fore such a futile appeal on such
a big subject to a government
board.
See Globe Fliers
Asked if they would go with
their appeal to the White House
after leaving the Farm Board
offices. the Vice President said,
sharply:
mo, we have too many other
things to do today. We are
going soon to see the world
fliers."
Senator Capper nodded assent.
and then they clambered into
the Vice Presidents limousine,
license tag III, three aces which
weren't so lucky today, and rode
away.
The Vice Presidents informal
statement, hurriedly but solemnly
uttered-there wasn't semblance
of smile on his face-was sub
stantially:
eve have been in there for
an hour and a half or SO. ut
was lOnger) Board members
whom we met reiterated the
statement made July 1 that
the sales program will be con-
Quoted In such fashion as not
to depress the price movement.
It is not the purpose of the
board to make any immediate
sales, even Of those limited
amounts, at the present prices.
They will not sell now at pres
ent prices, in other words"
Board Stands Pat
Requested to amplify this, Mr.
Curtis said he thought it was
quite plain, and one object OF
their visit was to get assurance
of no sales for the present. How
ever. a comparison of the Curtis
statement and that made by the
board July l discloses that the
board stands pat.
WueLl JIlS VICE IICSluEIlG Wdo
asked if he came here to voice
the views of grain operators, he
quickly retorted:
No, we came here on our
own motion, representing the
farmers Of KansaS-that'S ALL"
In saying that the Farm Board
reiterated" to himself and Sena
tor Capper its statement Of July
/, the Vice President spoke from
notes evidently taken from that
official pronouncement and his
response to interviewers was in
effect reiteration Of the boards
words. with omission of reference
to world situation" that would
Justify wheat sales of such mod
crate amounts"