Evening star., 1946-03-03
Grain Price Rise
To Spur Sales
Due Tomorrow
Freight Cars to Be
Pooled to Speed
Shipments Abroad

Ceiling prices on grains will be
raised tomorrow, the Agricul-
ture Department said yesterday,
as part of a program to adjust
livestock feeding to the reduced
supplies of grains and to encour-
age prompt marketing.
Effective tomorrow the ceiling
prices for grains will be raised as
follows: Wheat, cents a bushel;
corn, cents bushel; barley. {
cents a bushel; oats, cents a BUSH
ell; grain sorghums, 9 cents a hun
dred pounds.
Ceiling prices for rye, which go
into effect June /, will be increased
4 cents bushel.
Freight Cars to Be Pooled.
Other steps in the campaign to
provide more food for Europe and
Asia also were taken by Secretary
of Agriculture Anderson and Price
Administrator Paul A. Porter. At
the same time, Col J. Monroe
Johnson, director of Defense Trans
portation, revealed that he will
pool the Nations freight cars in
speeding up the shipment of food
to ports.
Warren C. Kenden of the Asso-
citation of American Railroads will
be made an agent of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission under
Col. Johnson's authority to direct
the movement of freight carriers
to export ports.
The system will be similar to that
under which Pullman cars and
other passenger carriers we're pooled
to speed returning soldiers to points
OF discharge and to their homes.
No Regard for Ownership.
Without regard to the ownership
of freight cars, Col. johnson said,
Mr.. Kendall will be empowered to
send them to ports where they may
more quickly speed the export of
grain. He pointed out that these
ports virtually surround the United
States-being located on both the
Atlantic and Pacific Coasts and
also the Gulf of Mexico, while the
principal grain-producing section Is
the Midwest.
Col. johnson agreed with a state
ment by former President Herbert
Hoover Friday at Mayflower Hotel
press conference The former Pres
ident said that one of the main
obstacles to the shipment of grain
to Europe was the lack of first
class freight cars. Mr.. Hoover had
estimated that only 20 per cent Of
the Nations rolling stock was now
in condition to carry grain.
Col. johnson explained that only
Glass A" box-cars could carry grain,
since the ceilings, floors and sides
must be virtually water-tight, both
to prevent the spilling of wheat and
to prevent damage by the elements.
Rolling Stock Deteriorated.
During the war, rolling stock has
deteriorated at more than normal
rate due to the fact that there has
been little time for repairs.
The attempt to rush wheat ship
ments to Europe arises out of the
White House food conference on
Friday, at which, Mr.. Hoover was
named honorary chairman arf
Chester c. Davis of st. Louis, former
War Food Administrator, active
chairman, of a committee to mobi-
lize the American people behind
program to prevent starvation
abroad.
Mr.. Hoover told newspapermen
that unless the United States sent
immediate succor, some 10000, 900
people in Europe and 100, ,00o, 900 in
Asia faced possible starvation.
Ocean Transport Adequate.
The former President said the
committee believed available ocean
transportation was sufficient to
carry needed supplies of wheat and
fats abroad. He added, however,
that the main problem was inlaid
transportation here, and that he
understood carriers were taking
emergency measures to ready cars
to carry food.
The program outlined by Secre-
tary Anderson and Mr.. Porter was
drawn up with approval of the Office
of Economic Sterilization. Other
steps are:
Hog ceilings will not be changed
prior to September /, 1916, but con-
sideration meanwhile will be given
to lowering the ceiling price on
heavier weight butcher hogs after
that date Consideration also will
be given to lowering the subsidy on
heavier hogs before September /.
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