Evening star., 1943-11-01


hours, They, too, deserve our thanks.
The record for l943 in getting ad-
dltlonal farm help in places where
1t was needed is very impressive.
For example, during May, June. july
and August of this year. 100000
workers registered for farm work.
Forty-eight thousand, five hundred
workers were brought in this year
from Mexico. 400 from the Ba-
hamaS and $500 from Jamaica. This
additional help was used on farms
in shortage areas all over the United
States. Altogether. l,750,00O place
mentS on farms We're made.
We have also made use of pris-
onerS of war for the raising and
harvesting of crops. Essential farm
labor has been deferred from the
draft. Where emergencies have de-
veloped, the Army has assigned SOL
diers to assist in saving crops that
otherwise would be lost.
One of the great difficulties-the
shortage of farm machinery and Of
spare partS-developed, of course
4
/ steel for the war program. There
was only a fixed amount of steel
available, and it had to be divided
as efficiently as possible among the
critical needs for war-Ships, big
guns and small weapons, tanks, new
war factories and new additions to
war factories. railroad cars and a
number of other vital products. 1t
was necessary to use our best iudg-
ment in determining Just where we
should use the available supply
of steel
The allotment of steel for farm
machinery for use in 1914 has been
increased by doubling the amount
available for use this year. Fur
thermOre, no limit has been placed
on the production of repair parts.
This new farm equipment. how
ever, while it will be available for
the 1914 production, was not avail
able for l943 However. the farmers
kept their own machinery in better
order. They dubbed together in the
making of repairs. They Joined
hand in the use of farm machinery
by more than one farm family The
ingenius and resourceful farmers of
America, by this cooperative use
Of machinery, were able to turn out
this record crop of l943
Demand on Food Supply.
Even with this all-tlme high food
production for l943 there were still
shortages in certain parts of the
country in our food supply This
was not due to lack of production,
but rather to the extraordinary de
mandS for food demands never be-
fore made in history.
The increased demands for food
came from three principal sources.
Inc largest increase in demand has
cone from our own civilians here
at home. Many Of our workers in
war factories, in the mines, on the
farms and in other essential pur-
suits are eating more and better
tOOQ than they ate before the war
began. Many of them for the first
time are approaching an adequate
dlet-SO essential to the we'll being
OF our people and to maximum war
production. Even after making al
lOWanCeS for the rise in the cost of
food since 1889 the average Amer
lean family is not only spending
more for food. but eating more food
than before the outbreak of the war
This has been one of the DredOm-
lnant factors in the greatly in
creased demand on our food supply
The second increased demand for
food has come from our 100000
soldiers, sailors and marines-who
had and. Of course. always will have.
first call on all articles Of food.
These Servlcemen naturally consume
much more food in the Army and
Maryland they are getting better
food on the aVera rage-than they did
in civilian life
The third great demand was for
our lease-lend shipment of food
to our Allies
There has been a lot of loose talk
about impending meat famine"
and meat shortages for the COM
ING winter.
During the October March period.
this winters estimated total meat
production. excluding poultry. will
amount to l4.400 100000 pounds.
dressed weight as compared with
l2,500,000 900 pounds during the
same period last year. and II 400
00G.000 pounds two years ago. As
matter OF fact. this winters eSti-
mated meat production will be by
far the largest on record
Estimated poultry production our
ing the October March period this
winter will amount to 1900 900 900
pounds. as compared with 100000
600 pounds last winter and l,7O0,-
600 900 pounds two years ago. The
production Of poultry has increased
about so per cent since 1889
During the next six months we
will also produce an estimated D.
200 ,00C000 dozens OF eggs. as COM
pared with 2.lO0OOOOO0 dozens
YEAR ago and 1900 900 900 dozens
TWO years ago. Egg production has
increased about 40 per cent
since 1899.
Also. even though our animal
numbers VII be Al an ail-tlme high
this winter. the lr'2-4 total supply
0f FEED grains will 7pt for last
Year, be the largest supply on rec
ord and approximately 20 per cent
above the 1874 average. On a
per animal basis. the feed supply
Will not be as large as IN the last
several years, but it will be about
equal to the average of the 10 years
ending in 1882.
From the standpoint both of in
creased production and of price
control, the food effort in this war
is far greater success than hat
Of the First World War. Facts
bear out this statement. but I sup
pose that facts are not going to
deter those who want to create dis
satisfaction or those who spread
scareS such as food shortage" and
meat famine
Program for 1914.
Our food plans for the future are,