Evening star., 1942-12-03
.ickard Would Curb
Government Control
OF Food After War
Secretary Cites Need
Of U. S. Regulation
During Emergency

By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, Dec. 3.-Secretary
Of Agriculture Wickard declared
today II, for one, have no inten-
ton and no wish to fasten Gov
ernment controls in perpetuity
upon the food industry"
"On the other hand, those who
have the responsibility for the Gov
ernment's wartime food program
should be prepared to take prompt
action whenever action Is necessary"
the Secretary declared in an address
at regional meeting on 1943 food
goals.
Already in this war I have seen
the consequences of delay and wish
full thinking too many times" he
continued. IF reservation orders or
rationing are necessary for food
commodities, these orders should be
put into effect without delay.
Cites Cost Of Delays.
The history of this war is that
the situations grow worse instead
of better and that every day of delay
is extremely costly to all concerned"
Secretary Wickard said extreme
care should be taken that the Gov
ernment's food policies are sound
| and in the public interest. Wartime,
he asserted, sis not the time to carry
out the pet theories of any group or
class, or to institute reforms for
reforms sake"
There is some fear, he continued,
that Government power over food
would mean radical changes In dis
tribution and marketing. He added:
by and large, think the food
industry is we'll organized and eff
cient, and for these reasons 1t
should be interfered with as little
as possible in the execution OF
wartime food program"
Maps Food Program.
There should be no hesitancy in
taking whatever steps are necessary
to see that as much good food is
produced as is possible, Secretary
Wickard declared; to see that as
much of it is processed as possible;
to see that it is economically pack
aged: to see that it goes in the need
ed amounts to lease-lend and the
armed services, and finally that the
civilian supplies are fairly distribute
ed to each locality and each family.
Secretary Wickard estimated that
at least Is per cent Of the total 1943
American food output would 60 to
meet military and lend-lease needs.
War needs took about 13 per cent
of the 1912 yield. .
Our task grows larger month by
month" he said, recalling that only
a month ago the Agriculture De-
partment figured war needs would
take only 20 per cent of the 1943
production.
Lauds Farmers for Superb Job.
The Secretary characterized as
superb" the farmers 1912 perform
ance in which they smashed all
previous records for total produc-
ton" but said IAN even tougher
lob" confronted them in 1943
We just can't produce too much
OF the needed farm products next
year. We can't produce enough OF
some. For example, our fighting
forces, our Allies, and our own peo-
pie would like to have 18 billion
pounds more milk than we have
scheduled in the 1943 goals. But 1t
can't be produced. There are not
enough cows on hand, even though
the Nations dairy cow population
is the largest on record"
The Secretary said farmers had
done so we'll that there was a gen.
eral impression that America was a
bottomless we'll of food from which
any needed amount could be drawn.
THE farm people and the Govern
ment workers in agriculture know
different" he asserted.