Evening star., 1943-11-02
BY RAYMOND MCCONNELL, Jr.,,

BY RAYMOND MCCONNELL, Jr.,
Written for the Associated Press.
LONDON, Nov. 2.-The compul-
sion behind the mandates of Eng
lands War Agricultural Committees
Is as complete as the intensity of
production they achieve. To it only
an England with its back to wall
could have acquiesced
It's saving grace is that it is ap-
piled for the most part by men who
not only possess much technical and
practical experience, but who know
their localities and the farmers with
whom they deal
The farms of England have been
surveyed and the farmers graded
A, B or c with plus or minus signs
for the categories in between. The
A farmer is left alone, once he has
filled in numerous forms which ap-
Il ply to all categories alike. The B
farmer is the recipient of much tech
niCal advice in oral and printed
| form.
The G farmer is the object of the
closest scrutiny and supervision, and
his numbers are rapidly diminishing
II he shows no improvement from
one year to the next he stands a
good chance of being turned off his
farm
Can Compel Sale.
If he is a tenant, the committee
11ndS another tenant If he is ar
owner occupier, the committee, with
consent of the Ministry of Agricul.
ture, can compel the sale of his farm
to an approved farmer or can take
over the farm itself About l pei
cent of England's 100000 farms has
actually been taken over to date.
Though the proportion of cases ir
which such drastic action is deemee
necessary Is small, the threat is large
and effective.
| Partly because it has reclaimed
much waste land, but partly also be.
cause 1t has taken over "derelict'
farms, the committee itself is, il
many counties, the largest landlord
Indirect compulSion includes g
subsidy of So to- s12 per acre fol
plowing up of land, guaranteed
prices and a guaranteed market fol
whatever is grown.
Farm Income High.
AS usual, wherever prices are
fixed. they are a matter of some
debate. But the level of prices ir
England today is such that tn,
small farmer, generally speaking
makes enough money to pay his ow1
way, and the large farmer much
more than tax laws allow him tc
keep
A few farmers, particularly poul.
trymen, have been ruined by lack OF
feed. Most. however, are making
more money-before taxes-thar
they've made in many years. The
lot of the agricultural worker, too
has improved. He is guaranteed a
minimum national wage and OTTER
earns much higher, and he is bene-
f1clary OF a concerted effort toward
Improvement of housing conditions
on farms.
/
Sixty per cent more of the ma
tons land is. under the ploW thar
before the war.
..a. Output Multiplied. t....-..
I production figures for wiltshire
are In proportion to- those OF the
nation as a whole. IN this count,
/ wheat, barley and rye acreage have
been increased two an "a half times
and potato acreage six times,
through reseeding of permanent
grassland and development of gras,
as rotation crop. milk production
has been maintained in the face
OF ploWlng up pastureland
Plgs. poultry and beef cattle have
lost considerable ground for lack OF
feed. Livestock is making a come.
back, but is still high on the import
list. Bulkier staples, plus as many
sugar beets as existing factories car
handle, plus whatever vegetables
ana fruits are consumed, are grown
at home.
! Through greater diffusion OF
technical knowledge, widespread
introduction Of machines and i'm
proVement of soil by rotation ane
more scientific fertilization. British
agriculture has made notable gains
The individual farm, likewise. has
achleVed degree of stability which
only studied self-sufficiencv can
| olive