Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-02

Announcement by the Federal Farm
Board that purchases Of wheat with the
revolving fund provided for the purpose
will be discontinued is followed by esti-
mates Of the work Of the board and
predictions as to the future. Debenture
and the equalization fee are suggested
with opposing views which uphold
abandonment Of all relief measures.
The world situation Is blamed In some
quarters for unsatisfactory conditions,
while there Is much support for organ
lied reduction Of crops.
The thought that the administration
policy has been successful In its pur-
pose to meet an emergency Is voiced by
the Chicago Daily News. which adds
that it was also intended Ito give the
farmers an opportunity to help them
selves through organization and SYSTEM
attic limitation Of areas planted to
certain crops Of which the country IN
past years has grown embarrassing sur
pluses." The Daily News asserts that
''the heavy purchases by the board were
of benef1t to the farmers and to busi-
ness, which needed the stimulation thus
Afforded; that while many have as
sailed the board for engaging In arbi-
trary price fixing, no alternative policy
that would have been less open to OBJ
lection has emerged from the contro-
yersy."
"One is led to believe" according to
the Little Rock Arkansas Democrat,
that the real purpose CT creating the
Farm Board was, after all, merely to
meet an emergency and not to bring
permanent relief to wheat growers. The
board members claim to have saved
wheat growers many millions Of dol
lars and q large additional amount 70
errouyaro ~ nAHaax grains and dOnhfIceg
such claims are justified by the fact
that while wheat was selling as low as
SIS and 10 cents in foreign markets our
farmers were getting around 30 cents
for It. But this much has been plain
to every man, regardless Of whether he
is or Is not directly interested in wheat:
the board could not go ON indefinitely
buying wheat, storing it and selling be-
low cost. Furthermore, the board could
not buy that wheat and unload sur
pluses on foreign markets without suf-
fering from retali7tory action"
+ 4
1.-THE boards announcement" ac-
cording to the Seattle Daily Times,
must be taken as an admission that
while artificial price fixing may bring
can be had from that source until
hand-in-hand with the policy goes q
means Of reducing the output. SO far
no one has had the temerity to suggest
compulsory limitation of acreage to in
dependent American farmers" The
Topeka Daily Capital says: 1.-THE farmer
has not yet been fully converted to CO.
operative marketing. but there are five
farmers for 1t today where there was
one two years ago. This Is part OF
the work done by the Federal Farm
Go rlrN ~ ctv
it went into operation less than two
years ago"
purchases Of wheat by the Farm
Board" emphasizes the Fort Worth
Star Telegram, certainly have failed
Of their object, which was to increase
the price. Whether the price would
have been lower had It not been for the
boards efforts Is a question which can
not be answered, but It has no bearing
on the situation from a political view
point. The fact remains that the wheat
farmers were led by Republican poll
ticianS to expect improvement in the
price situation from the Republican
farm relief act. That such improve
ment has not arrived was a point which
could be talked around to some extent.
That the Farm Board has abandoned
the attempt cannot be 50 disposed Of"
when steelmakers find their mar
kets glutted." suggests the Columbus
Ohio state Journal, "they curtail out
put. Producing less, they are able to
keep prices fairly stable and rather
arm. The coal producer, the cotton
grower, the oil operator and the grain
farmer, TO date, have refused to adopt
the steel trades policy" Other papers
which are convinced that curtailment
is the only possible remedy are the
youngstown Vindicator, the Detroit
Free Press, the Cleveland News, the
Goshen Daily News-Times, the New
Bedford Standard. the Charleston (W.
Va) Daily Mail. the New York Sun, the
New Orleans Tfmes-Picayune and the
Hamilton (Ohio) Evening Journal.
y
THE only recourse of the producers"
declares the San Antonio Express:~"is to
help themselves by keeping the supply
within probable demand The Federal
Farm Boards principal business Is to |
aid producers In maintaining such q |
balance through cooperative action. |
Now the Spring wheat groves have J