Smyrna times., 1941-07-03

within a rea-s
sonable period. Soon it will be
difficult to get essential equip
ment in time for use unless re-
quirements are anticipated suffi-
GENTLY far in advance.
Under normal conditions
manufacturer need not place steel
requirements more than thirty
days ahead of desired shipment.
Today the manufacturer must buy
at least twelve months ahead of
the time the material is needed.
This creates quite problem, since
it is difficult to accurately estimate
the number of units of a certain
piece of equipment the farmer
will need twelve months hence.
All of us realize that prices will
go up due to increased wages and
other expenses. There is an
other kind of price rise which
farmers can help prevent-that
is, the. result of supply and de-
mand.
Suppose one hundred farmers
wished to buy one hundred new
plows but there were only fifty
available at the time these farmers
wanted them. Only fifty farmers
would get plows Because one
hundred farmers wanted them the
fifty who bought plows would re-
ceive practically nothing for their
old equipment as trade-in. The
net result is that a higher price
would be paid in cash outlay for
the plows involved.
There is way the farmer can
prevent this sort of situation
that is, by doing what the manu-
facturer is doing; namely, antici-
pate the needs of next spring right
now. Such procedure is impor-
tant for another reason. National
defense is a colossal job. In ad-
dition to the task of planning de-
fense and designing weapons of
warfare, there is the actual prob
lem of supplying materials.
The government has set up a
Priorities Board which will, after
completing a survey of require
ments for each industry, deter
mine how much material will be
allotted to it. Moreover, each
industry will be given number
denoting Importance of its posi-
ton IN light of our defense effort.
Weapons of warfare take priority
over all other items.
In the last war agricultural i'm
plements were in second position
on the theory that food was next
to arms in value to nation at
war. 1t is hoped, for the sake of
the farmer as we'll as those de-
pendent upon him for food, that
materials for agricultural imple-
ments will be given priority over
/ all industries except actual muni-
/ tions and equipment for warfare.
At the moment some materials
are very scarce-others not SO
scarce. One difficulty today is that
materials are being earmarked for
defense equipment, which is still
in the plan stage-"on paper
only" This ties up the material,
i creating a more acute condition
than is necessary.
Such, problems will soon be
! solved, once the Board of Priori-
ties is able to survey the require
ments of essential industries. Ev-
cry industry will attempt to sell
the authorities on the idea that it
should be rated ahead of others.
Farm organizations and farm
equipment companies should fol-
low this situation closely in order
to protect farm interests.
The safest way for the farmer
to protect his own interests is to
anticipate his requirements well
in advance of actual need to insure
delivery. The control of essential
raw materials will work more ef-
ficiently as time goes on but the
actual supply in relation to de-
mand will become more scarce.
Every farmer should secure essen
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