later they bought "spuds" at 3.1 cents 

 a pound. A similar price prevailed un- 

 til 1932 when the price fell below 2 

 cents a p)ound. During World War II 

 consumers' pockets again were filled 

 with money, and they paid 4.4 cents a 

 pound for potatoes in 1943. At the 

 end of July, 1946, consumers were pay- 

 ing 5 to 6 cents a pound. 



Egg prices, too, are set by consumers. 

 For the last 35 years, farmers have pro- 

 duced and offered to each consumer 

 about a half dozen eggs a week. The 

 table below shows how egg prices have 

 varied in response to changes in con- 

 sumer demand. 



July 31. 1946. estimated 49f 



PRICE 



G}nsumers' total expenditures tor 

 food is also very largely under con- 

 sumer control. In 1913 a grocery bill 

 for a typical family of three was $264. 

 When more money was available in 

 1920, the family spent $568 for the 

 same groceries. Through most of the 

 1920's, the bill averaged between $420 

 and $450 a year. After 1929, consumer 

 incomes declined, and in 1933 the typ- 

 ical family of three obtained the same 

 foods for $276. With better incomes 

 in 1937, they paid $367. With even 

 higher incomes in 1943, they paid $458 

 for the same groceries. For the first 

 half of 1946 the comparable figure was 

 around $470, or one-fifth less than in 

 1920. 



In each year farmers furnished ap- 

 proximately the same amounts of food. 

 Thus, the consumer obtained practically 

 the same food in 1933 for $276 as he 

 did five years earlier for $425. The 

 principal difference was that consumers 

 were not willing to spend as much 

 money in 1933 as in 1928. 



During and since the war, labor h.is 

 asked for and received large wage in- 



creases. Labor (consumers) spent a 

 part of these large increases for food. 

 When this caused prices to rise, labor 

 leaders professed great surprise and in- 

 dignation. 



Now some labor leaders are asking 

 for further wage increases. Additional 

 wage increases at this time will cer- 

 tainly bring more immediate price in- 

 creases. 



Unless offset by changes in labor pro- 

 ductivity, the cost of living follows 

 wages like a shadow. Labor leaders 

 would do well to recognize this fact. 



It also would be well for consumers 

 in general to recognize that their own 

 action is the best possible food price 

 control. 



AFBF PUSHES FIGHT 

 ON FERTILIZER PLAN 



Like a boxer riding a punch, the 

 American Farm Bureau Federation 

 rolled back on its heels in July when 

 a House vote defeated its proposed 

 pilot phosphate fertilizer plant at Mo- 

 bile, Ala. 



Today the AFBF is back in the fight 

 full of determination to get a national 

 fertilizer program established during 

 the 80th Congress. 



Defeat of the proposal to get the 

 high-analysis phosphate fertilizer pilot 

 plant — which is one small item in 

 the AFBF's broad fertilizer program 

 — "shows the farmer as nothing else 

 could," said AFBF President Edward 

 A. O'Neal, "the wealthy, powerful and 



determined opposition lined up against 

 them." 



Leading the fight to assure American 

 farmers a plentiful, high-quality supply 

 of plant foods at reasonable cost. Presi- 

 dent O'Neal has called for the support 

 of Farm Bureau membership in the 

 struggle ahead. 



"At the nation's grass roots," Presi- 

 dent O'Neal said, "they are realizing 

 they must get busy in the interest of 

 long-range programs that will benefit 

 agriculture in the years ahead. 



■'Many issues have been overlooked 

 during the all-out effort to meet war- 

 time goals. But the opposition hasn't 

 been resting and, as a result, farmers 

 find themselves facing more legislatix'c 

 battles. We've just begun to fight. 



"Get into your local Farm Bureau 

 activities and help fight in one of the 

 most effective ways for the welfare ol 

 yourself, your children and our na- 

 tion." 



SOIL DISTRICTS GAIN 



Organized soil conservation districts 

 in Illinois include 19,003,890 acres and 

 132,022 owners, according to a report 

 by W. F. Purnell, assistant extension 

 soil conservationist at the University 

 of Illinois. His report shows that the 

 organization of 62 districts including 

 part or all of 64 counties has been com- 

 pleted. Most recent additions to the 

 list are Brown and Massac counties. 



SEPTEMBER. 1946 



11 



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