Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-22
LECCE SAYS u. S. SHOULD
RAISE ONLY OWN WHEAT
Export Production Foolish and Dumping
UnsOund, Declares Farm Board Head.
FavOrs Collective Action.


AS a result of this operation, the price
Of wheat on an average in this country
Is rs cents above its export value: that
Is, the price it could be sold for in the
world market"
Asked what effect the measures re-
Gently passed by Congress for relief to
the drought stricken farmers might
have upon the agricultural situation,
Mr.. Legge replied that the farmers
such measures would have no particular
effect upon the excess stocks of wheat
in this country.
THE solution of the agricultural
problem lies largely in organization
which the farmer sadly lacks-to mar
ket farm products in more orderly
manner, getting out of such production
all that the market will pay; to raise
those products for which there Is a de-
mand, rather than ones for which Suffl-
Gent demand does not exist" he said.
Planned production on a Nation
wide scale Is the real remedy for the
present situation in American agricul-
ture In order to assist such COM
modity-planned production we are try
ing to arrange matters so that the
farmers themselves shall get informa-
ton in regard to any commodity they
produce. with the suggestion that they
adjust their programs in such a way
as to arrive at balanced production.
Opposes Export Production.
only in such a way can we avoid
repetition of the present crisis. This
will not be done by next week, or next
month 1t requires time. But a real
solution of the agricultural problem will
be brought about by more collective
action and more skillful planning on
the part of the producers themselves"
R,. 7 lyaI YnI NloY N0d
production could be brought about in
this country without taking into con-
sideration the expanding programs for
agricultural production in other coun-
tries, including Canada, Australia, Ar
gentina and Russia, all of which are
producing large grain surpluses Tor ex-
port
people to feed" replied Mr.. Legge.
MANY of our agricultural commodities
are on domestic production basis. To
attempt any wheat production for ex-
port In the United States is foolish.
There is no justification and no hope
for American farmers to produce more
wheat than can be consumed here.
This does not hold true for cotton.
1t is my belief, for reasons which it
would take too long to enter into. that
cotton can be raised prof1tably for
export"
Relief for World Market.
Mr.. Legge takes the position that once
the wheat market of this country Is
free from world market influence. the
American Government can be relied
upon to give its farmers whatever pro-
lection may be necessary to meet the
situation. BY putting the United States
on a domestic production basis, the
world market will be relieved of about
200, 900 bushels pressure each year,
until such time as the increasing rate
of production in Russia. Argentina, Aus
tralia and other countries overcome this
deficiency. 1t is with view to regulat-
ing the expanding wheat production
programs of the different nations that
an effort is now being made in Geneva
to call world conference aiming to
limit the future supply.
Can the small farmer survive in the
face Of mass production methods IN
agriculture?" Mr.. Legge was asked.
THE answer to that question varies
vAh every crop raised" he replied
~ mere are certain crops in which an
adjustment of the farm unit size wills
probably prove necessary, but not in all
Of them. In wheat farming, yes. In
truck farming, fruit and vegetable gar
dening, no. In the latter the small unit
has a chance to survive in competition
with the large one.
Trend Toward Larger Units.
Cali basic agricultural production,
however-wheat and other staples
tends toward large production units, but
not necessarily to big corporation farms.
The units must be large enough to en-
able equipment for production pur-
poses"
The present outlook for live stock and
cattlemen is fairly good, in Mr.. Legge's
opinion. The dairyman will suffer from
underconsumption as long as there is so
much unemployment, he says, because
consumption of dairy products is very
sensitive to unemployment conditions.
THE big staple crops are probably
seeing the worst of their position right,
now" Mr.. Legge added There is rea-
son to hope that the situation will i'm
prove, though not rapidly, ard that
existing wheat SURPRISES will be worked
on gradually by raising less. Cotton will
come back by an increase in the con-
Stunning demand"