Decontrol Board Restores Ceilings 

 On Soybeans, Live Stock 



As the Record goes to press, the fed- 

 eral decontrol board has just an- 

 nounced its order restoring ceilings 

 on meats and soybeans and exempting 

 most grains and dairy products from 

 price ceilings. 



On the items ordered back under con- 

 trols, new ceilings were scheduled to be 

 determined by OPA and the Agricultural 

 Department and made eflFective Aug. 23. 

 The price decontrol board also or- 

 dered revival of the livestock subsidy 

 payments which were in efiFect last June 

 29. 



Commenting on the action of the de- 

 control board. President Charles B. Shu- 

 man of the Illinois Agricultural Associ- 

 ation, said: "We believe that the board 

 acted wisely in preventing the restoration 

 of price ceilings on milk, butter, and 

 other dairy products and grains. . . . 



"On the other hand, the decontrol 

 board apjjears to have stepped into a 

 trap in restoring price ceilings on live- 

 stock and meat. 



"Restoration of low meat prices will 

 result in excessive consumer demand and 



at the same time low prices will dis- 

 courage livestock production and delay 

 marketing. This will mean less meat 

 and a return of the black market and a 

 loss of valuable by-products." 



President Shuman also pointed out that 

 livestock feeding operations will be furth- 

 er discouraged with grains being free 

 from control and meats under price ceil- 

 ings. 



"We also believe," President Shuman 

 said, "that soybeans should have re- 

 mained free from price control for the 

 same reason that other grains were ex- 

 empted. Supplies are large, and the price 

 of soybeans had not advanced unreason- 

 ably since price controls became inopera- 

 tive on June 30." 



The Illinois Agricultural Association 

 filed statements with the federal price 

 decontrol board early in August urging 

 that farm products remain free of price 

 control after Aug. 20. Statements also 

 were made by the American Farm Bu- 

 reau Federation recommending similar 

 action. 



August 20 was the date set by Con- 



gress after which price controls were 

 to be reinstated on certain consamer 

 items at the discretion of the federal 

 price decontrol board. 



The lAA pointed out that with the 

 record grain crops in prospect and 

 large numbers of meat animals on the 

 nation's farms, prices, which cannot 

 now be considered unreasonable, will 

 tend to drop lower. 



The Price Control Extension law di- 

 rected the price decontrol board not to 

 regulate prices after August 20 unless 

 (a) prices have increased unreasonably, 

 and (b) the commoditv is in short sup- 

 ply, and (c) its regulatioit is imprac- 

 ticable and unenforceable, and (4) such 

 regulation is in the public inter^. 



Presenting the cases on grain, live- 

 stock, soybeans, and dairy products sep- 

 arately, the lAA cited facts and figures 

 to prove that in general (a) prices have 

 not increased unreasonably, that (b) tKMie 

 of the commodities will be in short sup- 

 ply especially in view of predicted 

 bountiful harvests this year, that (c) 

 price regulations on the farm products 

 named are impracticable and unenforce- 

 able, and that (d) such regulation with 

 its attendant evils — black market law- 

 lessness and waste — and subsidization 

 which the federal government can ill 

 afford at this time are not in the pniblic 

 interest. 



Biggest Crowds in History Attend Revived Illinois State Fair at Springfield 



Ready for a little fun and relaxation after weary war years, llli- 

 nelt farm familief, in greater numlMri than ever before, flociced 

 by tlie tens of thousands to the Illinois State Fair at Springfield 

 in early August. Left, (top) — At lAA courtesy tent. Farm Bureau 

 felics rest, eat, visit with friends, and watch the crowds; (iMttem) 

 — General view of lAA tent. Center ^ Machinery always at- 



tracts farm men. (Top) — Ixhibit sliows tractor cover to iieep 

 out wind and cold during l>ad weotiier; (bottom) — a Iwy baler 

 gets a good going over. RIglit — farmers iom tlie stedc pavilion 

 to watch Judges pidc the best; (top) — Judging Angus cohres; 

 (bottom) — Shew mules leoving the stodt pavilion after |iidg « s 

 declared winners and awarded ribbons. 



SEPTEMBER, 1946 



