The Bismarck tribune., 1935-04-22
MORE FLEX|b|L|TY IS
STATED AS GOAL OF
WHEAT ADJUSTMENT
Allotment Plan Author Advises
Farmer to Study Situation
Before Voting

st. Paul, April 22.-(F-Greater
flexibility has been set Is . major
| goal Of future wheat adjustment pro-
grams, NJ. L. Wilson, assistant secre-
|tary Of agriculture. revealed Monday
In calling upon wheat farmers to cast
votes In their nationwide referendum
on May IS.
Wilson, principal author Of the
voluntary domestic allotment plan,
basis Of the wheat program Of the
last two years, addressed q state con-
ference Of representatives Of county
wheat production control associations
and agricultural extension workers at
the Minnesota college Of agriculture,
He said that while wheat prices
have advanced So cents q bushel In
the last two years, the vast acreages
available for wheat production still
provide the potentials Of surplusea
and low prices In view Of limited ex-
port demand for the cereal.
Wilson said that the objective OF
wheat adjustment is not want, 1t Is
plenty without waste" He said that
"the tragedy of wheat and the wheat
farmer from 1928 to 1888 should not
be forgotten" in urging that growers
acquaint themselves with the inter-
national and national wheat situation
before voting.
Carryover Was Factor
'"The main factor depressing the
price Of wheat" Wilson said Of early
1888 when wheat was selling on farms
|at 81 cents q bushel, was . carryover
In the United States Of around 800
millions bushels which compared with
an average carryover Of 100 million
bushels In the years l0l9-l028. At the
same time there was . carryover in
the four leading export countries Of
7l6 million bushels, almost three times
what it had been 10 years earlier.
"This carryover, and the price de-
precision which showed that 1t exist
ed, expressed the loss OF the export
markets which took Is per cent Of
United States wheat production be-
fore the war, 376 per cent at the
peak OF war exports, and only 4.3 per
cent in 1888. In other words it was
|as though every farmer who planted
leo acres Of wheat before the war
had sold the product Of IS acres ct
home and Is acres abroad. In 1888
the market for the part Of the field
whose produce was sold 1T home re-
mained, but the market for the part
OF the field whose produce was sold
abroad no longer existed. The prob
lem Of the wheat farmer was, what
to do with that part Of the field for
whose produce no effective market
continued to exist"
Cites Causes q Change
Wilson said that tho decline Ia
wheat exports was due to European
resumption Of production after the
war, to increased competition from
other exporting countries which. like
the United States. had increased their
acreage In wartime. and TO tho net
work Of trade barriers and exchange
restrictions which have gradually
choked international trade" Over
the same period, he said, except for
periods when wheat WAS 90 cheap Il
was fed to livestock, consumption OF
wheat has varied little.
He said that enough wheat to salts
II domestic requirements can b
erown on 50 million seeded acres at
average yields but that the adjust
ment program does not contemplate
any curtailment policy limiting plant
ings to this area. Instead. he said
the policy Is to contemplate . con-
tinuation Of exports, although pros
poets Of providing m outlet for the
produce Of even eight million acres
|ior this pufpoes ars not now hright