The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-09-08


per pound on the hoof grows to be
much more per pound of edible ham
for ham and eggs, or in the pork
chops that grace the table.
Mr.. Wallace says with emphasis
that this emergency program will not
be repeated. He plans to give consid-
GRAFTON at once to definite program
of permanent character that will
effect more substantial reduction in
the number of sows that will farrow in
the future, sort of birth-control
idea. At the same time and inter-
linked with the hog program, he pro-
poses to work out some arrangement
that will reduce the acreage of corn.
1t is quite obvious to anyone that If
there was an artificial increase in hog
prices there would be an expansion Of
hog production in another year. So
Mr.. Wallace is going to try to defeat
that through birth control of hogs and
by causing an increase in the price of
corn.
Without passing on the merits Of
the scheme which Mr.. Wallace and his
advisers have
Decrease in worked out fAr-
E~norss Their than to say
he is being criti-
cized vigorously in a good many quar-
tiers, it must be remembered there has
been a violent change in Americas
position with respect to its surplus
hog products. In recent years, there
has been almost annually decrease
in the export Of pork and it's products
because the European countries, hither-
to our great market, have been STEP
ping up their hog production consist
emily since the World war. More re-
Gently, most Of those countries have
sought to protect themselves by estab-
fishing high tariffs or by limiting the
imports from the United States
through quotas.
Meanwhile, hog and corn produc-
tion has gone on here at the old rate
and we just have no place to send the
surplus. Hog prices reflect the effect
of excess supplies on the domestic
market. The products are highly per-
ishable and must move into consump-
tion quickly at whatever price they
will bring. There is, therefore, no
doubt about the existence, nor the
serious character, of the hog problem.
AS every one knows, much of the
corn raisers' success depends upon the
extent to which corn is fed to hogs.
This condition is accentuated these
days because not so many years ago
about 100000 horses and mules
more than now exist were eating
corn. That corn has been diverted to
hog feed. Students of the problem
are saying, therefore, that if there is
to be satisfactory relationship be-
tween hog and corn production, the
corn acreage must be adjusted down
ward as the hog production shrinks.
Otherwise, the quantity Of corn re-
leased from hog consumption would
cause the price Of corn to go to the
bottom, and the corn farmer would
get it in the neck in that way.
1t is an extremely delicate balance
that Mr.. Wallace is seeking. 1t never
has been found in all history and
rail fence opinion is that Mr.. Wallace
won't find it. On the other hand,
there never has been in history stu
alton so complex as that through
which we have been passing and sup
porters of the idea now being put into
operation by the government contend
it is the only way out. Since Presi-
dent Roosevelt has been feeling his
way in an effort to bring about re-
covery. observers here seem to be
agreed that little more harm can be
done by trying out the birth control
method for reducing hog production
and an acreage reduction plan for re-
ducing corn production.
Doubtless, noon in Washington Is
not greatly different than noon in a
thousand other
Woshington's American cities, or
Time Ball noon on the farm.
institution" associated with noon In
Washington that probably has no
counterpart elsewhere. Where other
cities have their factory whistles and
bells, washington has it's time ball.
Something more than half century
ago, some one conceived the idea Of an
official time signal under government
auspices. Various methods of estab-
fishing such signal were considered.
At length, it was worked out and
staff was erected atop the east front
of the great State department build
ing and an arrangement perfected
whereby large gilded ball. visible for
several miles. would be dropped from
the top of this staff on the split-second
of noon.
The ball Is lifted into position by
hand but the trigger that holds It is
released by an electrical impulse sent
at the instant the naval observatory,
through it's star-gazing scientists, de-
crees that noon has arrived. For
many years, an electric wire ran d.
rect from the observatory to the state