Evening star., 1946-02-07

meats ana poultry larger In the
weeks and months Immediately
ahead than II farmers could follow
their present practice of holding
animals until they had been fat
tened.
But once the animal numbers
have been reduced to the size o1
the smaller feed supply, market
supplies of meats and other AMI
NAL products win decline. Meat
production then can be increased
again only after grain supplies have
been replenished. And improvement
in the domestic feed grain supply
cannot come before this years crops
are harvested next fall.
That's where the possibility Of
future meat rationing enters In
A poor crop season would prevent
re-expansion of livestock produc-
ton until the next good feed crop
The Presidents order to convert 9
larger portion of each bushel OF
wheat into hour-the process that
will be responsible for the darker
fiour-was estimated by Mr.. Truman
to save 25,000,000 bushels of wheat
toward the 225 ,000, ,000- -bushel export
goal set for the first six months OF
this year, and 1t brought immediate
repercussions in the milling industry
Millers contended that the order
would not accomplish its objectives
although they made it clear that
they were In sympathy with its aims
In Minneapolis, President Philip
Pillsbury Of Pillsbury Mills, Inc,
said he had wired Mr.. Truman and
Minnesota members of Congress
suggesting national conference of
millers before the increased -four
extraction program is made effec-
tive.
No Grain Savings Seen.
Mr.. Pillsbury said wheat farmers
will face lower prices and surpluses
as soon as this years crop is in
and the current shortages end. He
declared the 80 per cent extraction
order would mean only darker bread
for the American public with no
resulting saving of grain because
100 per cent of the wheat kernel
is now being used in one form or
another" under 70 per cent milling.
Mr.. Pillsbury explained that the
8 per cent difference already is
devoted to feed uses.
A representative of Harry A. Bull
lis, president of General Mills, Inc,
OF Minneapolis, made public q tele-
gram OF protest from Mr.. Bulls to
Mr.. Truman. Another protest was
telegraphed by Herman Fakler, vice
president and Washington repre-
sentative of the Millers' National
Federation.
MIR. Bulls declared that the re-
sulting darker bread will be "a
harsh product" which will not be
acceptable nor can it be effectively
used by the public" making for
consequent wastage."
Cut in Production Suggested.
He suggested instead that the out
put of flour be curtailed, saying that
people would rather have less of
what they like than plenty of what
is utterly distasteful."
Both Mr.. Bulls and Mr.. Fakler
urged the President to reopen the
matter and hear the millers on the
question.
Mr.. Fakler said the industry. had
asked to be consulted when the step
was first proposed January Is but
had received no reply.
Secretary Anderson said he hoped
the restrictive measures can be
lifted when the new wheat crop is
harvested. But such action will be
governed, he said, by how crops turn
out in this country and in other
parts of the world.
Measures carrying out the Pres
ldent's program for conserving wheat
will be set forth in orders to be
issued by the Agriculture Depart
ment under authority delegated to
the department by the President
under the War Powers Act.