The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1942-01-22
WNU Service. 1343 H Street, NV,
Washington, d. C.

Washington, d. C.
The farmer came r
He produced more the past year
than any year in history. Never has
America blossomed and borne fruit
as she did. Next year the produc-
ton will be even higher for the de-
partment of agriculture found that
the farmer was willing to meet the
goals set up last August, and even
to exceed them.
But that doesn't mean that the
food-for-victory problem has been
settled. Now the department Of
agriculture finds a part of the prob
lem back in its own lap, for we are
in the war ourselves and our allies
depend on us for supplies. The farm
er must be assured labor. supplies
and machinery to carry out his part
Of the job. And the professor must
have the equipment to take care of
perishable products when the farm
er lays them down at the door.
Experts here tell me that the
farm-labor problem is not unsolv-
able. The combined demands of war
and industry mean that the farmer
will have to put up with older hands,
with less skilled farm hands. 1t
means that schools will have to be
dismissed at harvest time and when
harvest time and cultivation time
come together. 1t may mean a land
army of women. But the farmer will
get the help he needs, even if it isn't
exactly the kind of help he would
prefer.
Can Get Repairs
The farmer can also get the parts
he needs to repair his farm machin-
cry.
He will get some new machinery,
enough to get by with.
He may have to skimp a little on
the nitrates and the phosphates al
though at present there are reserve
supplies.
But the big problem is to provide
the professor with the essentials he
needs to prepare the food and to
wrap it up in packages for the con-
sumers. Take for instance milk:
some "a new ev~aporating plants will
have to be built, some $50 cheese
factories will have t. be put up.
And PIGS! This year was a rec
ord crop. Next year will be bigger.
Will the packers be able to take
care of the porkers which may be
waddling up at the rate of a possible
thousand a day to squeal their last
squeals for freedom? That is one
thing which the secretary of agri-
culture is battling over now. 1t takes
tin and stainless steel and a lot of
other things which the army wants
before you a change a pig into a
portable meal. And the army is
tighter than a Sunday shoe when it
comes to yielding up any of those
essential metals. 1t is interested
chiefly in destroying. not preserving.
Food Goals Raised
The department of agriculture has
raised the food goals-already it has
called for a Is per cent boost in
the tomatoes wanted; 80 per cent in
snap-beans, corn and peas for can
ming. Russia is very likely going to
ask for food that we had not figured
on supplying, China may need more.
And then, who knows there may be
IN American Expeditionary Force,
probably will be before we are
through, which will have to be fed.
Modern armies still move on their
stomachs, but even in that position
they cannot eat off the land as they
used TO-.
These extra, added demands we're
not in the cards when the original
food for freedom" goals were set
up. But they will have to be taken
care Of. Americas good earth can
produce them. the farmers can and
will raise them. The next thing is
to wangle the means Of putting them
into the packages that will take
them where they are going. It's a
big job-one Of those which when
done, will win the war.
Wartime Warrington