600 TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII 



deems necessary. We need to know the requirements of foreign markets 

 and how well these requirements are being met by other exporting coun- 

 tries, and then we need to perfect our process of growing and manufac- 

 turing and marketing, so that we may successfully compete in so far as 

 certain products are concerned — those which we have in surplus for ex- 

 port. This is a challenge to our ability, and our country must not fail 

 to meet it. 



It is the duty and the privilege of our government to investigate the 

 causes of the suffering among the farmers of the corn belt and through- 

 out the whole country, and to take measures which will cut short the suf- 

 fering as far as possible. The situation is most complex. It emphasizes 

 the importance of more knowledge on the economics of agriculture. It 

 involves abnormal relations between prices of farm products and other 

 prices, the handling of an enormous surplus, the better adjustment of 

 supply and demand, the relation between agricultural and other exports, 

 the development of the most efficient production and marketing methods 

 possible, the care of loans maturing at an early date, provision for longer- 

 term agricultural loans, and above all, a better understanding of agricul- 

 ture, its fundamental character in reference to our national welfare, and 

 its emergency needs at this time. 



