Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-26
Food Supply Enough
If Handled Carefully,
Wickard Declares
Secretary Urges Thrift
In Use Of Vegetables
During Next Month

American consumers had notice
today from Secretary of Agriculture
Wickard that by careful manage
ment" they will have all the food
they need to eat this year despite
the fact that living under point
rationing of many foods lis not
going to be easy"
The food situation warrants
neither complaCency nor hysteria
Mr. WiCkard. speaking as war food
administrator, asserted Yesterday in
statement read at his press con-
ference He gave these figures on
the supplies available for civilians
during l943
An even larger supply of poultry,
potatoes and grains, except for rice
than in 1912.
A per capita supply of meats.
fluid milk, eggs. fresh fruits dry
beans and peas about the same or
slightly lower than last year.
Per capita supplies of fish, cheese,
fats and oils, condensed and evap-
GRATED milk. commercially grown
fresh vegetables. sugar. coffee and
cocoa lower than in 1912, with some
of these falling below prewar levels.
Based on Production Goals.
He made this qualifying state
ment, however:
This Is assuming that production
goals for 1943 will be met"
During March housewives should
10 tT-it
coupons and with the vegetables.
both processed and fresh. which
they can get" the Secretary warned.
He pointed out that, with the excep-
ton of carrots, vegetables will not
be very plentiful during March. "
Many persons, he added, will have to
get along with fewer vegetables in
March than they had in the past.
The recent cold wave in Florida
virtually wiped out the crops of green
peas and snap beans and seriously
curtailed the crops Of lima beans.
eggplant, peppers and winter to-
matoes, Mr. Wickard said.
He admitted that, "administra-
lively" mistakes had been made in
the Nations food problem, and that
more would be made in the future
until we learn how to do the things
that must be done" He listed
among the mistakes failure to
begin food rationing sooner, not
putting aside "a little more for re-
serves and failure to increase bean
production during 1912.
Russia Needs Beans.
Russia, he said, will need 5000
900 bags of beans for its army, which
must come from the 100000 bags
held by the United States. Accord
ln9ly, civilians will receive about 2
pounds less of beans and peas this
year than they did in 1912.
He claimed that surveys showed
that even if we reserved no food
for our own armed forces or our Al
lies, civilian demand today is so
high that We would buy and eat all
that could possibly be produced of
many basic foodstuffs."
BY careful naRement We shall
have all that We need to eat, even
if we have to forego some OF the food
that We would like to eat Mr..
Wickard declared. .. .. F
Mr.. Wickard earlier told the
House Agriculture Committee that
if the 48-hour week means 80
per cent increase in wages 1T will
tend to cause imitation"
But he added he had mot been
Informed" that the recent proposal
for the work-Week in certain areas
meant a 30 per cent increase in
wages.
Il do not know how much OF an
increase the 48-hour week means"
he said.
Representative GiIchrist, Repub-
lican, of Iowa brought up the sub
iect. saying: We've heard so much
about initiation because of any in
crease in prices and I think we
should know whether a 80 per cent
increase in wages under the 48-hour
week with time and half overtime
after 40 hours has any effect on
initiation"
If 1t is true that labor is getting
a 80 per cent increase, will that
have tendency toward inf1ation?"
Yes" replied Mr.. Wickard.
yet you don't want The farmer
to get any increase" Mr.. Gilchrist
continued.
1T wouldn't be so bad if the action
stopped there the cabinet member
said. "A substantial increase in
farm prices and food costs even
tually will lead to an increase in
wages"