EDITORIAL 



Overlooking Simple Facts 



^^^^^ ARM rL-prcscntativLS in scvcTal L-astcrn states liavc 

 ^-j^ m.uk sudi a fetish of gold revaluation anil a man- 

 ^^_y Jgcl currency that they have Ixeonie blind to 

 simple facts. No thinking person disputes the influence 

 dollar devaluation has had in raising farm prices. But the 

 amazing thing is that some of our eastern friends apparently 

 do not appreciate the elemental relationship between sup- 

 ply, demand, and price. 



Eastern farm papers have been particularly cool tov\ard 

 production control. Their argument has been that no mat- 

 ter how much farmers produce there can be no over-produc- 

 tion. Everything will be consumed. They arc cjuite right 

 in that observation. But what happens to the price and the 

 producer.-* 



Consider liogs for example. In 1923 this countr\ ex- 

 ported S28.H9(). ()()() pounds of bacons, hams, and shoulders. 

 In 1 9 St we exported only 61. 691, ()()() pounds less than 

 "•2 P^"" •^'•'"t *^^^ the 192.3 figure. Suppose we had main- 

 tained hog production in 193'^ and '36 at the 192 3 level. 

 Nothing but disaster to hog proilucers such as was experi- 

 enced in 1932-33 could have resulted. 



If we needed any further proof of the effectiveness of 

 ■production control the drouths of 193 4 and 1936 furnished 

 it. They did far more than AAA or soil conservation pro- 

 grams to reduce crop surpluses and raise prices. Larger 

 and more evenly distributed production at son.cwhat lower 

 prices might have returned faritiers more dollars and. been 

 better all around. But the tact remains that surpluses were 

 w iped out. And prices of the most affected crops like corn, 

 wheat, oats, and barley climl>rtl. 



Another illustration is onions. "Onion growers in- 

 creased their acreage last spring and then the weather 

 helped matters up to the point of a 1 '',62'), 000 sack crop 

 (100 lbs.) compared with 1 4.5-t6,000 in 1933." reports 

 the Bureau of Agricultural Economics. "In the early states 

 growers got an average of "6 cents a s.ick where thev were 

 getting S2.''2 a year ago. In late November prices were 

 about one half those prevailing a year earlier, running 

 around lO centstiper '>0 pounds in producing sections." 



The law of suppk and demand has not been repealed 

 in agriculture. Farmers are determined to make it serve, 

 not ruin tlieni. 



Thieves Are Abroad 



C/W\^i- morning Ed Graham, a livestock farmer from 

 1^^ I Tampico in Whiteside county, woke up to find 

 \^^ th.it thieves had carried ofif 3 1 of his best C^hester. 

 White shoats. Thc\ cut through w ire fences to drive the 

 hogs to a coineiiient loading chute at an ab.uuioned farm. 

 No trace of (he stolen livestock lias been discovered. The 

 S20() cash reward. S'^O of which was put up b\ the Farm 

 Bureau, remains unclaimed. 



Stealing livestock from farmers is not a new crime. 

 But its pre\alance tixlay demands unusual alertness and 

 organized ettort to stop it. Authorities charged with re- 



sponsibilit) for detecting and punishing criminals need the 

 help of us all in fighting this evil. Where farmers are 

 organized and work with alert law enforcement ofTicers, 

 there is little or no crime. The thief strikes when least 

 expected. So be watchful. Be suspicious of strangers. 

 Protect your neighbors property as well as your own. It is 

 cisier to prevent theft than tci catch the criminal after he 

 has made his getaway. 



Just Good Business 



N A recent article "The Co-operative Purchasing 

 of Farm Supplies," Joseph G. Knapp of the Farm 



\^ Credit Administration points out that with the 

 growing commercialization c_)f agriculture farmers have 

 |ieen forced to do as all smart manufacturers do: cut pro- 

 duction costs. This they are doing by purchasing co- 

 operatively farm supplies that enter into the cost of 

 growing crops and livestock. 



"Purchasing of supplies by farmers h.is also been great- 

 ly stimulated in recent years," Mr. Knapp says, "by the in- 

 creasing use.4)f tr.ictors, trucks, automobiles, and engines, 

 which have tended to replace horse and mule power. To- 

 day oil and gas are as definitely farm supplies for the farm- 

 ing operation as hay and grain feeds. In 1933 the cost of 

 operating farm tractors, trucks, and automobiles amounted 

 to approximately S^.S(),0()0,(){)0. With the annual cost of 

 farm supplies used in production and marketing totaling ap- 

 proximately one and a half billion dollars in 1933. a year 

 i)f low prices, it is not surprising that farmers have turned 

 to co-operative purchasing as an economical method for 

 getting the type and quality of supnlies which they require 

 and with the type of service most suited to their needs. 



"It is clear that co-operative purchasing associations 

 sliould not be looked upon as a radical form of business 

 enterprise. . . . I\irmers' civoperative purchasing associa- 

 tions simply join a group of business men-farmers- together 

 to perform a purchasing service for themselves." 



Lift the Bars 



C"*^^ HI: world still suffers from trade st.ignation. Peo- 

 ^"~— ^ pie are on relief here and abroad because we rc- 

 ^^y fuse to exchange the things we both need. Ger- 

 many has a chronic famine of tats, oils, and meats. She 

 m.ikes a lot of tine goods like lenses, cameras, chemicals. 

 etc. th.it we shut out with exhorbitant tariffs. Germ.iny 

 can t buy our pork, butter, and soybeans because we refuse 

 to let in her manuf.ictiired articles. So we're both worse 

 i)lf than we might be. Why.^ 



The I'arm Bureau is on record for "judicious lower- 

 ing of industrial tariffs, thus admitting more goods into 

 this country and making it possible for us to sell more of 

 our farm products abroad. " I'armers want to restore agri- 

 cultural exports. Congress will scH)n again be in session. 

 It cm reiuler great servile to farmers and the country by 

 liftinu the bars that continue to hold back foreign trade. 



34 



I. A. A. RECORD 



