The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-01-12
WHEAT
SURPLUS Seen
May Mount to 200 Million
Bushels in 1888, Is View
at Washington
By HITLER KRIEGHBAUM
Copyright 1887 by United Press

Copyright 1887 by United Press
WASHINGTON, Jan. ~. (UP).
Despite huge benefit payments
under the soil conservation pro-
cram, American farmers face the
probability of 1888 wheat sur
plus which may reach 2OO,O00,000
bushels. q study Of agriculture de-
partmcnt statistics showed today.
On the basis of the most recent
crop reports. officials estimated
that production Of winter wheat
will Weld slightly more than
600, 100000 bushels" whereas the
average consumption in this coun-
try for food, for feed to animals
and for seeding is 625,OO0,OOO
bushels.
Thus the winter wheat alone will
supply practically all Of this coun-
try's demands and the spring
wheat crop will be entirely in cX-
ces sof normal domestic consump-
ton. While there is no way of
knowing whether the weather and
acreage. yet to be planted. will be
favorable or detrimental, the aver
age annual spring wheat harvest
over the past 10 years has been
slightly in excess of 2OO,OOO,O0O
bushels.
Failure of the administrations
soil conservation program OF pay
ing farmers upwards to half a bill
lion dollars annually to solve the
problem of how to control crop
SURPRISES has not been Il surprise
to department Of agriculture OIL
ficials.
\ year ago when the admins
tration turned in desperation to
the soil conservation program in q
hurried effort to replace the I'M
validated agricultural adjustment
administration. Secretary of Agri-
culture Henry Wallace said that 1t
offered few safeguards in case the
farmers planted large acrcageH
and the weather was favorable.
What actually happened was that
farmers planted more acres IN WIN
ter wheat this year than ever be-
fore. The weather, however, was
most unfavorable and the predict
ed Weld per acre is expected to be
one Of the lowest on record.
If the spring wheat crop is SUI,
ficient to dcprcss prices ana
even the most optimistic agricuii
tural observers fear that it vii
bel then the department OF agrl
culture officials will have a power
full argument in lining up farmer
and reluctant congressman PENN
new proposal for crop control
They argue that now they ca
no directly control acreage ON
indirectly by offering bonuses,
il were, for taking land out OF tf
basic commodities.
Just what form this new contrl
will take has not been settled.
Some favor the crop insurahe
idea. which has the approval
Secretary Wallace. Others suppot
the more vigorous control OF tf
old AAA under some new guie
that would stand a chance OF pas
ing the judicial gantlet. TINS mgt
take the form of state-federal c,
oneration. it was understood. Sti
others feel that the existing Sc
up could be modified to inciue
control of a sort. Corn plantins
this wear will be regulated IN ce-
tain sections an an experiment o.
see how this form works out undG
Even unsentimental grain tra'-
crs fear another wheat surpIW'
Quotations on futures OF the Ch-
cago board of trade shows
snread of 20 cents between may
and September wheat futures cor,
trasted with a spread Of only -
cents last year. This means tina
trades believe there will be subj
Gent spring wheat to fill demands
although wheat now is at a pre-
MUM.