The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1943-12-09
Control Starts
AT Wrong End
Committee Finds
Too wide a spread
between grower and
the consumer

Methods of attaining increased
production Of food crops next year
subsidies, ceilings, and the spread
between prices to food producers
and consumers We're some of the
topics discussed at an unusually
important session of the farm Sc
curity county committee for Ben
ton and Franklin counties. The
committeeman present included
Rolla Lanning, A. J. Thompson,
H. deSchepper, Mrs. Ruth Liv-
ingston, Charles Swanson, Merle
Radelmiller, and Edwin O. War
tensleben, county FSA supervisor.
1t was announced that money
is available for the purchase of
irrigation pipe and other material
necessary to produce necessary
food crops. IS. w..
The national food problem and
what part Benton and Franklin
counties can play in it, We're
thoroughly discussed. The COM
mittee is committed to earnest
support of greater crop produc-
ton.
The meeting went on record as
opposing farm subsidies or any
other kind of dole handed out
for the purpose of pacifying the
farm organizations"
1t was decided that study be
made to find the reason for the
enormous margin between the
price received by the farmer for
his products and the price the
consumer must pay"
Examples were mentioned, such
as carrots. 1t was declared that
"the farmer is offered $40 per
ton for carrots, which retail in
the grocery stores for as much as.
$120 per tom" The committee
felt the. press is exaggerating the
Sarge profits which farmers are
making, giving the general pub
lie the impression that the farmer
is receiving the greater share of
the high cost of the products"
Other exceptions were mentioned
by the wide spread between the
producer and consumer.
1t was pointed out from the
records that Washington farm la
Dor has averaged So per day; that
the scale in Idaho has averaged
81 and that So is the average in
other neighboring states.
"The Washington farmer is
working under a handicap in
order to compete with adjoining
States" the members declared.
This was considered an especially
severe disadvantage to the small
farmers, which constitute the ma
jority in Benton and Franklin &
Franklin counties.
Ceiling prices were also dis
cussed, and Were considered out
Of proportion.
Said the committee resume on
this point: ''The various agencies
setting up ceiling prices on the
finished products only, have dis
regarded the ceiling prices on la
Dor, feed, seed and other items.
This is backward way Of stabil-
izing prices. Instead of starting
from the bottom in order to ar
rive at a price, these agencies
started from the top and paid no
attention to the price of produc-
ing the finished product"
It was consensus that the least
interference from bureaus would
| produce the greatest amounts of
feeds, and that prices should be
regulated by supply and demand.
It was declared that many
farmers are not going to farm
their land next year and much of
such land will be out Of produc-
ton. This is because numerous
restrictions and regulations take
the profit out of farming; farmers
can make more working eight
hours day on defense job than
they can working IL to Is hours
on farms, where they have large
investments in machinery, live
Il