Evening star., 1934-08-14
Statement Expected to An
SWer Critics of Artificial
Crop Reduction.
PUBLICITY is WEAPON
TO CURB PR0FITEERING
Wallace Says Control, Not Neoes-
sarily Reduction, Is Goal-Food
Supply Data Rushed.
BY the Associated Press.

| BY the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt Is expected to
| lay before the country within the next
few days statement Of future policy
on drought and farm relief.
There are indications 1t may in
clude an answer to critics OF the A.
i A. AS crop reduction, some of whom
have been stressing drought devasta-
tion to emphasize what they call the
sin" Of artificial SlaShing Of food
supplies.
A. A. A. officials have been touring
the country, answering this criticism.
They told farmers that human con-
troll was necessary to ourtail overpro-
duction that depressed prices, to re-
! store farm purchasing power and thus
to bring the national economy into
better balance.
Secretary Wallace stressed yester-
day that, though the A. A. A. sought
large cuts in production before the
drought came along and slashed crops
Unfortunately, the aim of control"
Is not necessarily smaller crops.
War on PrOHteering.
I'VE always contemplated q pro-
gram which was one of adjustment"
he said. "It is not exclusively one of
either reduction or increase In acre
age. You'll find I'm on record-back
In May-0n that"
A rise in the general cost Of living,
but especially foodstuffs, Is considered
likely this Winter and the Govern
ment is pushing preparations for its
ant1-prof1teering campaign with war
time fervor. Secretary Wallace said
he felt the cost Of living would not
rise more than 6 or per cent. al
| though the price of food would prob
ably go beyond that
Exposes Of wild cat" spectators
are planned as a chief weapon. The
officials think that after full pub
hcity, the force Of public opinion
will do the rest.
Rain and cooler weather In much
OF the drought territory were believed
to have done some good yesterday,
but not much.
Big Roundup Continues.
Over the grazing country, the most
momentous stock movement In history
went on. Ranchers at williston, N
OAK, stood silent, watching the last
round-up"-1o,000 starving cattle load
ed on cars to speed away to South
ern pastures and Eastern slaughter
pens.
Cheyenne Indians of Oklahoma
feasted in Thanksgiving today for rain
that streamed down on baking prairies,
IF tho Arcf fV, fxxte b.
Working under White House orders,
the Department of Agriculture expect
ed to produce today a comprehensive
report on drought conditions.
Of1ctals also are working on an
inventory Of food and feed supplies.
They declared that figures already
i available indicated that no food
! shortage was in prospect.
The food and feed survey will fur
nish President Roosevelt with a true
estimate Of supplies and their loca-
ton.
DR.. Fred G. Howe, consumers coun-
sci Of the A. A. A., said his organiza-
tion was enlisting 140 local con-
sumerS' organizations in the anti
profiteering fight.
Everything that can be done pre-
paratory to meeting the situation is
being DONE" he said.
To Check Speculation.
Besides exposure Of "profteers,"
the Government is expected to dis
seminate information on comparative
food prices and to check speculation
through the Grain Futures Admin
iStration.
1t SHES away from using licensing
powers of the A. A. A. on food proc
essors and handlers. Such powers
are still somewhat vague, officials
declare, and Congress has refused to
clarity them.
The Farm Administration extended
the boundaries of its relief work ter
ritory by adding % emergency" and
IA secondary" counties to its list of
drought-stricken territories. They
brought the total to 1,405 counties in
"a States, 1858 being emergency and
347 secondary.
Food Supply Figures.
Preliminary figures on the Nations
food supply showed:
Stocks Of wheat on hand or in pros
pect total 43,433,00O more than nor
NAL domestic consumption.
Corn stocks are estimated at 52I.-
472,000 bushels, with crop of 1907
100000 bushels in prospect. How near
this will meet domestic requirements
will depend on the live stock popula-
ton when the Government has COM
pleted its live stock purchase program.
1t plans to buy 100000 or more
head.
Stocks of oats appeared plentiful.
Commercial supplies of fresh vege-
tables and fruits are fairly plenti-
full" potatoes are abundant" pas
lures and forage are extremely low,
sufficient cabbage is being produced
for all the Nations Sauerkraut, butter
stocks are below average, with q drop
in dairy production in prospect due
to lack Of feed, and cheese production
is declining with stocks heavy.
Stocks Of meat In cold storage on
August /, total 785,134,000 pounds,
compared with the fve-year average
of 845, $4,000