Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-21
COW, PIG AND HEN
GIVE GOOD INCOME
Reclamation Economics OFF,
ciaI Tells of Progress in
Aiding Farmers.

Special DlSpatCn 10 Guar.
SAVANNAH. Ga, october 21.-The
most uniformly successful type Of farm
ing today centers around the COW, the
pig and the hen in the opinion of George
o. Sanford, assistant director Of Rec
lamation Economics.
In an address today before the
Southeastern Economies Conference,
the Bureau of Reclamation officials
said Federal reclamation projects have
enjoyed years of prosperity and have
had their share Of adversely. and they
have not escaped the setback that has
hit all farmers during the present de-
preston.
One-Crop Farmer Hit.
Financial distress" he continued,
"has been most severe on the one-crop
farms, especially cotton. The projects
that are coming through in best shape
ere centering on live stock and dairy
products. There has been some i'm
provement in the price of butter fat,
and prices in September, which on the
different projects range from 25 to 80
cents per pound. showed an increase
in the 3O-day period of 4 cents. On
one project feeder lambs are being con-
tracted at cents. with repurchase
price of cents after 90-day feeding
program.
Farmers who disposed of their
forage crop in 1880 received fair
price for feed and were well paid Tor
their labor. nor are they discouraged
at the prospects this Fall. The sugar
beet farmers will come through in good
:hape as this crop is contracted for
before planting at an average price OF
$3.50 per ton, and while this is about 81
less than was paid in recent years
there has been reduction in the cost
of production.
"In other words, the farmer who plans
his farm program so that sufficient
area is planted to cash crops to pro-
vide necessary funds to cover taxes,
water charges and other operating ex-
penses and confines his major program
to the production of crops that are
fed on the farm and where he has
steady job and where regular
monthly income is received from the
cream check is in fairly good shape.
Earning Power Reduced.
He may not be making a profit and
in many cases he is not getting any
interest on bis investment. His earn
ing power has been sadly reduced but
he has a job; he has enough to eat
and the prospect CT joining breadline
does not worry him. Furthermore, he
has neither lost hope, his courage nor
going to improve"
After dealing in retrospect with the
Federal reclamation policy, Sanford
cited the results obtained since the
adoption of the policy on June IT, 1902.
He said the accretions to the fund from
land sales, oil royalties and other rev.
enues have been $751;, 100000. Con-
gress has loaned in all S25,000.0 900, of
which sum $l0,000,000 has been re-
turned. Expenditures to July, 1881,
have been 1858 400 900, the difference of
s96, 700. 900 being made up by the re-
payments of project farmers on con-
struction and operation accounts.
Twenty-seven projects have been con-
structed in whole or in part and in
addition there are a large number OF
private projects dependent for their
water supply on reservoirs constructed
by the United States. Until the pres
ent depression the annual value OF
crops produced on these two classes
Of projects has been nearly equal to
the cost of constructing the canal sys-
TENS and storage reservoirs, Sanford
said.
The work of the Bureau of Reclama-
ton, the Government official pointed
cut has. resulted in the establishment
Of homes for 100000 people on the
farms and in the towns that have been
established as trading centers for the
adjacent farming communities. Taxable
property valued at one billion dollars
has been created and the crops pro-
duced on these projects have an average
value of two and one-half times the
average of the entire country. and yet
it is only l per cent of the total value
of all crops.
Government Policy.
Sanford said in view of the overpro-
duction of staple agricultural products,
the guiding policy is not to bring new
lands into production that would COM
pete with established farming areas, but
rather to extend helping hand to well
developed communities where there Is
a shortage CT water, that has not only
reduced crop production, but unless
some relief can be secured may result
in the destruction of homes and pro-
Guctive farms.
He emphasized, in conclusion, that
"we cannot expect to have this country
eniov a full measure of prosperity until
the basic industry of agriculture be-
comes prosperous; that the payment OF
a fair price to the original producer for
his products is not going to hurt the
ultimate consumer, and that while the
farmers can do much to help them
selves, there is a real need Of the best
possible advice and assistance available
in working out the numerous problems
that confront the man on the farm"