Detroit evening times., 1943-03-31

on economics, about Americas
food criSis.)
BY MERRYLE, $. RUKEYSER
Copyright, is43. International News Service
CAPTAINS of the food indus
try argue that the war effort
would be heightened by tempo
rarily reducing production of
war materials which might have
outrun shipping facilities TO re-
lease men and materials for pro-
ducing farm machinery.
This same viewpoint Is also
expressed by noncommer C ial
sources, including former Presi-
dent Hoover, authority on food
mobilization.
The appointment of Chester
c. Davis, president OF the st.
Louis Federal Reserve Bank. as
food administrator, represents a
move 10 take cognizance of the
criticism of the food administra-
tlon by men in the food process
seing and distributing industry,
as we'll as by public figures.
S CHAIRMAN OF the food
"A industry war committee.
Clarence Francis, president OF
General Foods Corp, expressed
10 me confidence that Mr.. Davis
would make the food situation
run more smoothly.
Speaking for farmers, Edward
a. O'Neal, president of the
American Farm Bureau Fedora
ton. in an exclusive statement
TO ms, blamed OPA price poll
cies in part for the approaching
food disaster
THE administrations farm plan
for meeting the crisis, as
revealed by Secretary OF Agri.
culture Wickard, follows:
"1-Farmers must have As.
Surance that :he returns will bA
sufficient 10 cover costs. Ono
way tn enable farmers to re-
Ceive the returns necessary 10
cover their costs would he BY In
creaSing prices. but this might
result in initiation.
"Other adjustments can be
made. The first Is through pur-
chase and resale operations
particularly ny the Commodity
Credit Corp.
"T PROPOSE: (a) To continue
the price support program,
with floor prices, for all farm
products needed In the war
effort.
"(b) To offer 10 purchase cer-
tain products, soybeans, peanuts
flaxseed, canned vegetables,
sugar beets and perhaps others
and resell thcrn at prices In line
with price ceilings.
"(c) To make incentive paw.
ments on nine crops urgently
needed In the war effort to en-
able farmers To meet increased
costs for extra production.
"-Labor. Neither prices nor
income, In themselves, will as
sure us Of the kind and quantity
OF agricultural products We
need. Farmers must have suffi.
cient labor 10 plant and harvest
their crops and take care Of
livestock.
Last fall. at my request, tho
War ManpOwer Commission Is
sued instructions 10 local selec-
tive service boards Ia defer
essential dairy, poultry and live
stock workers.
After the passage Of the Tyd-
ings amendment. this policy was
extended to all essential agrl-
cultural workers.
"0UR plans for securing suf-
~ ficient labor for farm pur-
poses In 1913 include:
"(A-Recrulting OF the land
army OF 3.5OO.OOO older men,
women and high school pupils.
dB)-Recruiting and train
Ing through n few weeks short
course at agricultural colleges
men with agricultural back
ground for year round work on
livestock and other farms.
"(C-Recruitlng, training
and transportation OF domestic
and foreign labor, both seasonal
and year round.
HTN CONNECTION with the
farm sign-up, local commit
teemen are sitting down with
every one Of our 100000 farm
ers. Committeeman are obtain
ing estimates Of things the
farmers need 10 reach their
goals, including labor require
ments.
"3-PrOduction supplies. Al
most a year ago the department
began developing a farm ma
chinery program for 1913. At
that time, we felt convinced that
a level of farm machinery pro-
duction equal to so per cent of
the production In 1910 was es-
sentiaI.
1"AS-for fertilizers -we-haSs
developed plans for meeting our
minimum requirements.