Palmer, Alaska
Editor.Dorothy li. Ball
Advertising. June Knoff
Published once a week at Palmer, Alaska, for the Mstanuska Valley Farmers' Coopera
ting association for the purpose of giving news of the Associations' work, problems,
and accomplishments.
SUBSCRIPTION RATE $1.75
;1.00 for six months
10^ a copy
OVER-PRODUCTIONS. IS
A PROBLEM
Farmers in.Alaska have their troubles and their problems, but in this they are not
alone. Farmers in the states also face problems and sometimes we wonder If theirs '■*
are' not more serious than those in Alaska. Over-production and falling prices have
long been serious problems in the states. During the past few years the Price Sup
port program of the U.S. Government has held up prices on many commodities. The ad
visability of such a program is one fef the major problems discussed in the national
Congress today. Many groups are opposed to such a program for many reasons—one
being that it disregards the economic law of "supply and demand1', and in so doing it
encourages more over-production since the government is'absorbing the over-run. In
Alaska we are out of the range of these support programs, but we ore none the less
indirectly affected by them.
In a recent Newsletter from the Cooperative Digest, we find an article on recent action
taken by the "National Milk Producers Federation." We quote—
The National Milk Producers Federation annual Washington meeting, climaxed by Con
gressional banquet, produced results.
Federation proposed its self-financing farm support system and got it before Memhers
of Congress; not at banquet, which was social affair, but by calling upon individual
members of Congress during business hours.
Under Federation plan, surplus holding and disposal pool would be erected, adminis
tered by b»-partisan long-term appointed board.
Agricultural commodities hot disposable immediately in normal trade channels vvaild be
purchased by pool at.parity-based prices.
Pool would dispose of holdings by resale to commercial handlers at prices which would
cover original costs plus sttornge and handling costs; or by export or diversion to
other normal uses.
Pool operations would be financed through equalization fee collected on first commer
cial sale of commodity. Percent- go of fee to parity price would be determined by es
timated losses in dlsnosing of surpluses of particular commodities.
"Under Federation plan," explained President John Brandt, of Milk Federation, "an ag- 4
riculturrl commodity -would bear the cost of maintaining Its own parity price.
"Surplus production would be discouraged by a progressively increased equalization
tax as a comnoditly moved into a higher surplus position.
"At the same time, there would be no strings on the individual farmer as to what he
grew, or how much." —unquote.
Now let's turn to another br"nch of the farming industry—
Quote
rh supports now lifted from under poultry and turkeys, price supports on grains
vr-esents problem.
Legislation now pending to make available grain to poultry producers at such prices as
may be necessary to establish an equitable feed ratio.
Tf supports not relnposed for poultry and products, industry will need some help if
j--.in—feed prices—continue supported. Poultrynen contend that they cannot buy
/ wi on a supported market and sell their product on an unsupported market. —unquote.
*****
The sad part of the whole situation is that while we worry about surpluses, another
p-.rt of the world is starving for the very basic necessities of life. It's a queer
world in which we live, and we vender how long it will take the human race to adjust
its economic program so that such contradictory situations will no longer exist.
__Cont. on page 3