TO CURTAIL PRODUCTION

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 930, 25 March 1930, Page 10

TO CURTAIL PRODUCTION

WHEAT FARMERS’ POSITION IN AMERICA WASHINGTON. Sunday. The chairman of the United States 1* arm Board, A. Legg’e, writes in the April issue of the official organ of the United States Chamber of Commerce on the position of farmers. Mr. Legge says he estimates that 20 Per cent, less production of wheat would bring the American farmer 20 per cent, more money than he is getting now for what he produces. He asserts that American farmers, through the campaign of eduaction, will in time come to see the advantage of curtailing production to a point where they will get a better return for a smaller crop. Only through organisation can farmers work effectively. There is no way to coerce a farmer into joining the co-operative system. “.You cannot compel him,” he says, “but may persuade him, if you show him that the co-operative organisation is work- : ing to his interest. That is what we are now undertaking to do. “There is nothing mysterious about the way we determine the loan value of a crop. A limit must be fixed somewhere. The loans are based upon the best information we can gather of the* world supply and demand, leaving a reasonable and safe margin of protection. “Agriculture lags behind other industries in general progress and the country is seeking a reason for this. The best explanation, in my opinion. is subsequent lack of organisation. We have nearly 6,000,000 farmers, nearly all of them competing one against another in the buyers’ market, in which the buyers are comparatively few. “Agriculture is operated as an unorganised enterprise and is trying to compete with highly-organised effort in other industries." Concerning the Farm Board, Mr. Legge says:—“Our aim is to make Federal farm aid as temporary as possible, but it will probably take a long time, perhaps a good many years, before our programme can be completely worked olu.”