WHEAT PRODUCTION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 132, 16 March 1933, Page 5

WHEAT PRODUCTION.

PLAN FOR LIMITATION. WORLD AGREEMENT DESIRED. ACTION BY UNITED STATES. (United Press Association-Copyright). (Received This Day, 9.10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, March 15. The United States Government is seeking world-wide agreement with Canada, Australia, Argentina, Russia and the Balkans to limit the production of wheat. Unofficial discussions so far are understood to have included a conference between Mr W. D. Herridge* (Canadian Alinister) and President Roosevelt. The proposition is expected to he made -the subject of further diplomatic conversations, culminating, if possible, in an agreement at the World Economic Conference in London. EXTENSION OF PLAN LIKELY. INCLUSION OF OTHER PRODUCTS. (Received This Day', 8.35 a.m.) WASHINGTON, March 15. ... Broadly, the plan is set -to quotas of wheat which may lie produced ‘ each year by the great wheat countries. Similar international , agreements retarding other agricultural products may be undertaken later, though the plans have not yet taken definite shape. The United States itself will be talcing definite action to reduce the production of wheat and other products if Congress enacts the farm relief legislation which will be asked shortly in a special message by President Roosevelt. Among the principal features are expected to be authority for the Secretary of Agriculture to lease from farmfers par,t.of their land to take it out of production. Numerous attempts have been made previously to get an international agreement to limit the production of wheat,.but definite action was prevented partly because the United States had taken no definite step to reduce her own output. The fact that the United States has no diplomatic relations with Russia has some bearing on the problems involved, but it is hoped that the Soviet will take part in the Economic Conference. CANADIAN VIEW OF POSITION. ALYRKET WILL RTGHT ITSELF. (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) OTTAWA, Alarch 15. • It is learned on good authority that Canada doubtless will be prepared to enter into conversations with wheatproducing countries. Feeling here, however, is that the wheat market will come out of the present depression of its own accord. Recentlly the Alinister of Trade and Commerce (Air Stevens) made an optimistic speech in the House of Commons as to the improvement in wheat prices, with world supplies diminishing. About the same time Air W. R. Motherwell (a former Liberal- Alinister of Agriculture) took the same view. “Any agreement to fix exports,” Air Motherwell said, “would be too late to help the present situation, as the market is due to improve because, of reduced' supplies \Vithout artificial regulations. Ho thought an agreement as rto export quotas would be ja good thing to. protect grain growers against recurrence of disastrous prices. > SURVEY OF WHOLE pi ELD. DESIRE BY ALBERTA FARMERS. (Received This Day, 10.20 a.m.) OTTAWA, March 15. A message front Calgary states- that the United Farmers of Alberta have for some time favoured some step that would solve the wheat problem of the world. Air Priestly (vice-president) said that the United Farmers of Alberta have favoured a conference, but not with the sole object of limiting the production of wheat but to survey the whole field. If limitation of production were found inadvisable some other YjJan should be discussed. , ' '■/ . A LEAD TO CANADA. OPINION OF WESTERN FARMERS. (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) AIONTREAL, Alarch 15, “It. appears that the United States has triven us a lead we have sought for a long time,” Air J. I. McFarland (o-enernl manager of the Canadian Cooperative Wheat Producers, Limited) said at Winnipeg to-day. Air McFarland, who has long been an advocate of reducing the wheat production of the world, said that fanners in Western Canada for a long time have stressed the folly of increased production in view of world conditions. decrease in acreage. (Received This Day,, 12.30 p..m.) WASHINGTON, March 15. The Department of Agriculture today announced that the acreage of all spring wheat is indicated as 20,986,000 acres, compared with last year’s acreage of 21,521,000.