Evening star., 1943-07-08
BY WILLIAM ]. CONWAY,

ny WILLIAM j. CONWAY,
Associated Press STAFF Correspondent.
CHICAGO, July 8,-The Nations
farmers, exerting mind and muscle
to produce as much wartime food
as they can, have encountered a
number of handicaps in their labors
at home and on the roads leading
to the markets.
On the top of their list of difficult
ties were shortages of help, machin-
cry and feed for poultry and live
stock. In some areas they also
needed tires, trucks and repair parts
for equipment and vehicles. In
several sectors they experienced
trouble in getting enough gasoline
when they wanted it.
A Nation wide survey by the
Associated Press among farm own
ers, farm organization chiefs, State
and Federal agencies, packers, agri-
cultural machine manufacturers,
marketing experts and others
showed, at the same time, that there
was much dissatisfaction with the
farmers price position.
Corn Unevenly Distributed.
The feed scarcity is linked with
strange stalemate in the corn sup
ply. There is corn, but it isn't dis
tributed evenly.
The farmers who have it were
represented as: Cd Holding it with
the hope that the price ceiling would
be, raised substantially above the
current SLOT per bushel for No 2
yellow corn at Chicago (2) Or re-
tanning it until they see how the 1e43
crop will fare. ~ Or feeding it to
their hogs because it will bring them
more money that way in the long
run. 90 Or peddling it in the black
market at prices reported to range
up to sl.50.
The undersupply of machinery
prompted man-shy planters in many
communities to pool what they had,
while dealers passed along all they
could obtain in hand-to- mouth
fashion.
The War Production Board orig
inally limited 1e43 agricultural equip
ment production to approximately 20
per cent of the 1910 output This
order was modified later to permit
manufacture of more harvesting
machines-principally combines and
corn pickers. But the industry fig
ured that overall production this
year would be only % TO 30 per
cent of the 1910 total. However, the
WPB allocated material for a 14O
per cent increase in repair parts.
Uncertainty Slows Work.
Uncertainty over the effects of
price programs recently formed
bottlenecks in the livestock and
slaughtering centers. The Govern
ment first placed ceilings on meat
at wholesale and retail levels to hold
down living costs. Next it rolled
back prices again to ease the pinch
on consumers pocketbooks. Then
1t decided to pay subsidies to pack
ers to reimburse them for the roll
back and enable them to continue
to pay good prices to meat animal
producers.
Announcement of the subsidy was
followed by drop in cattle prices
paid by packers. Raisers didn't
fancy the reduction. A huge slump
in the number of cattle marketed
ensued. The cattle slaughter of the
week June 20-26 fell Al per cent
below the corresponding week of last
year
The American Meat Institute. or
eanization of packers. maintained
that the subsidy undertaking was
so indefinite" that the professors
could not be sure they will receive
any money, or, if they do, when it
will be paid"
More recently, however. cattle
prices advanced and shipments grew
closer to normal. The flood of hogs
overtaxed butchering facilities.
Packers Reported Squeezed.
The institute also has contended
that packers were squeezed between
the prices they pay for cattle and
the prices they receive for meat
processed from the cattle. 1t stated
that more than 100 firms had halted
or reduced the killing of cattle or
other animals.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture De-
partment found that the general
level of farm product prices rose
from Is to is per cent above parity
between mid-May and mid June. A
year previous the level was | per
cent below parity-the point at
which. theoretically, the farmers
purchasing power would be eouiva-
lent to that he enjoyed in a favor
able period, such as 1909l9l4.
But many farmers were not salts
fed with the relation of the prices
they receive to the prices they pay
for help and goods.
The survey brought out, too that
many farm operators were opposed
20 subsidies, rollbacks and price
ceilings.
The man with the hoe. and his
spokesmen and advisers, have some
definite ideas about what ought to
Se done to help him feed our armed
forces, our civilians and our allies
across the seas.
More Help Needed.
Andrew q. LOhman, manager OF
the Hamilton, Mich, Farm Bureau,
summed it up this way:
The farmer needs more help.
more equipment. and lot less regu-
lations to comply with"
The farmer asks fair price
''' so that he can compete with in
dustry for labor" commented Prof.
H. c. Filley of the University of Ne
braska's college of agriculture.
Some Indianans thought they
should have $l25 corn ceiling.
H. C'Ramsower, director of Ohio's
Agricultural Extension Service, ad-
Vocated prices that would allow
planters to compete with industry
for hired hands and that weuld
strike balance between the money
they get and the money they lay out
for supplies and services.
Some Western farm agencies spoke