Milford chronicle., 1939-09-15
HOUSEWIVES GET ASSURANCE
OF AMPLE FOOD SUPPLIES

The Agriculture Department gave
the nations housewives new assur-
ances of ample food supplies in a
crop report forecasting harvests of
bountiful proportions.
Furthermore. President Roosevelt
needed complaints that sugar had be-
come too costly and too scarce in this
country since the outbreak of war in
Europe. and lifted legal limitations
upon the quantity which may be sold
in the domestic market this year.
Officials said that a presidential
proclamation issued would permit
American professors to market some
100000 tons which had been refined
but which the marketing quotas sus-
pended by Mr.. Roosevelt had held off
the market.
The government crop report indi-
Gated that the production of such
crops as corn. barley. rye. rice, beans.
fruits, vegetables, sugar cane, and
sugar beets. grain sorghums. hay.
peanuts. sweet potatoes. and tobacco
is expected to be the largest in 10
years.
Farm officials said they expected
the crop report, based on conditions
Sept. l. to help stem a consumer rush
to lay in supplies and to check the
tendency of some distributors to raise
prices too sharply.
"The production of food crops" the
department reported. will be even
larger than seemed probable a month
ago. and in all lines. supplies appear
adequate for ordinary needs"
The department said that on Sept.
l milk production was about equal to
the record production at the same
time last year. Egg production was
about per cent larger than a year
ago. due to an increased number of
hens and higher rate of production
per hen. The total supply of dried
fruits probably will be above average
OF the fruits for canning. a rec
ord production of cherries was re-
ported; the supply of apples, pears
and prunes was placed above aver
age. and an above average supply of
canned peaches was said to be likely.
Large crops of walnuts, almonds and
filberts and nearly an average crop of
pecans were reported in prospect.
The department said there would
be adequate supplies" of vegetables
for fall and winter needs. and that
planting in southern states and Cali
fornia for later markets was starting
under favorable conditions.
Livestock, dairy and poultry farm
ers had prospects of one of the lar
gest feed supplies in recent years. AS
a consequence, officials said. there
should be ample supplies of most
meats. milk. butter. cheese. eggs and
poultry.
Officials said that the Presidents
sugar proclamation would lift quota
limitations not only on continental
sugar but on that of so-called of
shore areas. such as Cuba. Puerto
Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines.
Henry F. Grady. assistant secre-
tary of state. explained, however,
that discarding of the quotas auto
matically raised the tariff on Cuban
sugar from 80 cents to $1.50 a hun
dred pounds. The reciprocal trade
agreement with Cuba granted the
rate of 80 cents and pro-
vided that the rate would revert to
the regular $3.50 schedule If the quo
tas were lifted.
Mr.. Roosevelt said his action was
by the increased world
demand for sugar due to the Euro
pean war, by unusually heavy pur-
chases by consumers and by "appar- |
ent" speculative activity.
"a great number of complaints |
have been made within the past few
lays" he added, that the quota re-
strictions on sugar marketing are
making it difficult and costly for
and industrial users to
get enough sugar to supply domestic
needs"
He explained that domestic sugar
producers would continue to receive
ederal payments under the 1889
conditional payment program" now
n effect. but that it should not be as
'umed that payments could be made
IN future crops $50 long as quotas
must be continued in suspension"