TOOT MZDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE
Tvryon In Southern Orefon
R a Th Mau mount
Published Daily Except Saturday by
MZDFORD PRINTING CO.
27-29 North Fir St. Phong 2-6141
ROBERT W RUHL. Editor
HERB GREY Advertising Manager
GERALD LATHAM. Bualnasa Manager
ERIC ALLEN JR.. Managing Editor
EARL H ADAMS. City Editor
HARRY CHIPMAN Telegraph Editor
RICHARD JEWZTT Sport Editor
OLIVE STARCHER. Society Editor
DALE ERICKSON, Circulation Mgr.
An Independent Newipapf
Entered as second clasa matter at
Medford Oregon, under Act of
March 3. 1897
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
By Mail In Advance: Per Copy 10c
Dally and Sunday One year SIS 00
Daily and Sunday Six months 9 00
Dally and Sunday Three inn. 4.25
aundiv Only One year 14.20.
By Carrier In Advance Medford,
Ashland. Central Point. Eagle Point,
Jacksonville. Gold Hill. Phoenix.
Shady Cove. Rogue River. Talent.
and on motor routes:
Dally and Sunday One year $18 00
Dally and Sunday One month 1.50
uarner and Dealera 10c per copy
All Terms Cash In Advance
Official Paper of the City ef Med fore"
wneiai fa per or Jackson county
United Press Full Leased Wire
MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU
OF CIRCULATION
Advertfsing Representative:
WEST-HOLIDAY COMPANY INC
Offices In New York Chicago, de-
iroit. ban Francisco. Lot, Angeles.
Seattle. Portland. St Louis Atlanta
Vancouver. B.C.
NATIONAL EDITORIAL
ASpcfTLN
5"
NEWSPAPER
PUBLISHERS
ASSOCIATION
Flight o' Time
Medford and Jackson County
History from the files of The
Mail Tribune 10. 20, 30, 40
and SO yean ago.
10 YEARS AGO
Oct. 19, 1946 (Saturday)
Rogue valley chapter of the
Military Order of the Purple
Heart and auxiliary meet
Wednesday.
From Arthur Perry's Ye
Smudge Pot column: Ed Kubli
of the Applegate towned Thurs.
In his traditional manner.
20 YEARS AGO
Oct. 19. 193S (Monday)
Ban on rubbish fires lifted
temporarily by Fire Chief Roy
Elliott as wind velocities de
creased and humidity increased.
The Tuesday rehearsal for the
Medford Gleemen will be held
tomorrow in the Baldwin
Shoppe, according to James Ste
vens, director.
30 YEARS AGO
Oct. 19. 1926 (Tuesday)
Sydney B. Hayslip, represent
ing Lawrence and Holford,
architects, consider opening an
office in this area.
On Nov. 16, 1926, the price
of Copco six per cent preferred
stock will advance from $95 to
$96 per share.
40 YEARS AGO
Oct. 19, 1916 (Thursdey)
Mark Weatherford of Albany,
Democratic-prohibition nominee,
for congress, speaks in Medford
Monday.
Landslide of Wilson senti
ment sweeping Jackson county
1 Tint liict n lnral rnnrlitinn. hut
it nation wide. Attorney New
ton W. Borden says.
SO YEARS AGO
Oct. 19. 1908 (Friday)
Among visitors at Southern
Oregon normal were Dr. PickeL
Hon. J. W. Perkins, and Dr.
Martin.
Armstrong Piano House re
ceives large assortment of new
records for Victor Talking Ma
chine.
What's the Answer?
Can Son Get 4 ot the 7T
Copr. 1935 Editorial Research
Report
1. The Stock Market usually
fell or rose in the year im
mediately following the last 10
presidential elections, or was
it 50-50?
2. An old car is traded in on
about 50, 70, 85, or 95 per cent
of all new car purchases?
3. More school districts in the
South are integrated this year
than last year, or fewer, or about
the same number?
4. Every single one of the
48 states grants divorces for
adultery; right or wrong?
5. Hypertension is or isn't
another name for high blood
pressure?
6. Which two of these have
Republican governors: Cali
fornia, Illinois, Michigan, New
York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tex
as?
7. Jerry Giesler is a promin
ent divorce lawyer in New York
City, Reno, Los Angeles, Chi
cago, or Miami?
The Answers. 1 Usually fell.
2. About 85 per cent. 3. More
this year. 4. Right. 5. Is. 6. Cali
fornia, and Illinois. 7. Los
Angeles.
The first U. S. patent was
granted in 1790 to Samuel Hop
kins of Philadelphia for a new
potash manufacturing process
and was signed by George
Washington.
Revolution Coming
There's a revolution on the way.
Nobody knows just what form it's going to take,
but its advent can be forecast with some accuracy
give or take a decade or two.
We refer to our present type of mechanical civil
ization, which is based in large part on oil. Pretty
soon, the supply of oil is going to be inadequate. Then
what?
What will power the automobiles? Or the ships,
planes, trains, industries? What wilt heat our homes
and office buildings?
HTHIS week, interestingly enough, is "Oil Progress
Week," which is designed to call attention to the
role that oil plays in civilization as we know it. It is,
truly, a tremendous role, one that is often taken com
pletely for granted.
The service station is part of our way of life. And
so are the oil furnace, the gas stove, the diesel en
gine, the jet and propellor powered planes, and the
thousand-and-one other things which depend for en
ergy on "fossil fuels," coal and oil and gas.
We have been told that the supplies of these are
"inexhaustible." This, unfortunately, is not true.
There is just so much. When that's gone, it's gone.
When thi3 will happen, of course, is speculative.
e
A DETAILED review of how and why and when
this is going to happen is beyond the scope of
this offering.
But it is significant that the May 25, 1956, issue
of "Petroleum Week" devoted seven pages to an
article entitled ."Middle East Oil: Key to Free
World Survival" in which it was pointed out that the
United States must import oil because it does not
produce enough for its own needs, that much of the
rest of the free world is in a similar position, and
that this situation will be greatly intensified in the
next nine or ten years.
And another article is even more significant in
pointing out the overall problem. It was written by
Eugene Ayres, former research director for Gulf Oil
Corporation, and an expert on energy sources and
their utilization. His article appears in the October
issue of Scientific American, ad is entitled "The
Fuel Situation." ' W
IIIS article, which has a chilling effect when one
realizes how utterly dependent we are today on
the "fossil fuels," starts out:
"Every hour of the day and night, three quarters of a
million barrels of petroleum are being pumped into the fuel
burning devices of the world . . . Seven years ago . . . the
author expressed the opinion that 'allowing for all possible
postponements, the day of petrolem shortages cannot be
very far away.' That day is now almost upon us."
In the following pages, he outlines present coal,
oil and gas production and production trends, proven
and presumed reserves, present utilization and trends
in utilization, technological progress in both produc
tion and utilization, and comes to the concluson that
the best that can be done is to postpone, by perhaps
a few years, the time when other sources of energy
must be developed.
UE FORECASTS that by 1965 oil production will
4 1 be at a peak, and by 1957 the U.S. will need twice
as much oil as it can produce, with the rest of the
world also falling short of its needs; that by 1970 the
production of bituminous coal will have passed its
peak ; that the peak in gas production will be between
1965 and 1970; and that oil shale and tar sands can
add only a "few months supply."
And he points out, also, that the demand curve
will go up just as fast, or faster, than the production
curve. The pinch will begin to be felt before peak
production is reached and after that, it will really
begin to hurt.
Meanwhile, rising prices can be expected as de
mand outruns supply. And, eventually, the "fossil
fuels" will be gone.
T'HEN what?
Scientific ingenuity must provide the answer,
or to be more exact, the answers. For it is likely that
no one source, of energy can supply the varied needs
now handled by oil, gas and coal.
Electric energy both that generated by hydro
power and that from nuclear plants is one answer.
It will develop ever-faster as the fossil fuel pinch
gets worse, and will come into increasing use for in
dustry and space heating. (One needed development
is for the direct conversion of nuclear energy into
electricity, eliminating the generators which waste
three-quarters of the nuclear energy potential.)
Solar energy power from the sun will also have
an increasing role.
DUT the big problem is in furnishing energy for
mobile power for ships, trains, cars and trucks,
and their "descendants." (This is the second-largest
use of fuel in the world today; space heating is the
first.)
No immediate solution is in sight at the moment
But there are a dozen possibilities. We strongly sus
pect that the vehcle manufacturers are working hard
to find the answers.
It has been predicted that an "electrical accumu
lator" a means of storing up electric energy far more
efficient than present batteries will be one solution.
Experiments with magnetism hold promise, and others
are being explored in research laboratories.
But one thing is certain. The internal combustion
engine, with which we are all so familiar, will become
an anachronism, and fairly soon, too. E.A.
jgjFrlday, Oetober It. IS3I
it
Communications
Letters to the Editor must bear the name and .address of the writer, although
under certain circumstances the use ot a pen name or initial tor publication
is permissible. The Mail Tribune reserves the right to edit all letters with
view to clarification and condensation. Letters submitted for publication must
not exceed 400 words.
He WantsCheap Power
To the Editor: Is there anyone
that would like to pay two or
three times more for their elec
tricity than they are paying now?
Although I can't answer for any
one but myself, I certainly
would notl I feel that the pres
ent price in this area most as
suredly is high enough!
Before the federal govern
ment established the power
yardstick with such projects as
Bonneville and TVA, it was an
undeniable fact that electricity
cost several times what it does
today. Cheap power has made
possible our unequaled standard
of living by encouraging the de
velopment and use of the many
electrical conveniences we have
today. Had electricity been two
or three times as expensive,
there is no doubt that this spec
tacular progress would nevar
have reached us in the degree
that it has.
Public power is cheap power
and it has made private wealth
and revenue for all levels of
government. Public power seeks
to develop only those power
sites that serve the greatest good
for the greatest number and in
doing so, gives us the one great
protection we have against ex
orbitant electric bills. If compe
tition is the life blood of this
country's economy, then private
utilities . certainly shouldn't
mind some. If it wasn't for this
federal power yardstick, what
would be the cost of our elec
tricity? .
Oregon's senior senator has
fought for federal multi-purpose
power developments for the peo
ple, basing his arguments on the
desires of the people, the undis
putable findings of competent
engineers and the principles in
volved as defined by the consti
tution. On the other hand he is
the first to defend the right of
private utilities to use any dam
site that they can thoroughly
develop to the greatest good
benefiting everyone.
Ken Corliss
1564 Myers lane
Medford, Ore.
The SP and the 'Q'
To the Editor: I must con
gratulate your newspaper for
the article concerning the South
ern Pacific, its service to this
area, and railroad passenger
service in general, which ap
peared on page eight of Sunday's
Tribune. I especially appreciate
your use of sizeable headlines
to advertise it.
It was entiUed "Burlington
Official Optimistic on Future on
Passenger Service." Mr. L. R.
Capron, vice president of the
company's traffic department
said, according to your article
that:
" the company is experi
encing a substantial loss on its
overall passenger operation.
While the Burlington line's
'name trains' are earning sub
stantial profits the profits are
offset in running small branch
and secondary main line trains,
"We're working to take off
these deficit-incurring trains so
the passenger operation as a
whole will show a profit," Cap
ron said. He said there is a bet
ter understanding of the rail
situation now than there has
been in the past and the com
pany is experiencing some suc
cess In taking off non-profit
trains.
Applying this to the local sit
uation, I assume you realize that
the Southern Pacific line from
Dunsmuir to Eugene via Yreka,
Medford, and Roseburg runs ex
actly the same kind of "small
branch and secondary main line
trains" that Mr. Capron men
tions in your article. Therefore,
you obviously agree that the
Southern Pacific should, like
wise, work to "take off these
deficit-incurring trains so the
passenger operations as a whole
will show a profit."
I was quite pleased to find
that you finally realized that
Medford is getting more than
its share of SP expenditures.
I am equally certain you will
feel just as proud as I will when,
in the near future, you dial "SP"
for "Southern Pacific" every
time you use your telephone.
Ed Coyle
708 Park st.
Medford, Ore.
Editor's note: Our correspond
ent fails to note the difference
between maintaining passenger
service, but curtailing it and
abandoning the service through
a rapidly growing and prosper
ous district for a distance of over
300 miles entirely. The article
in question showed clearly the
attitude of the SP and the Bur
lington regarding the mainte
nance, improvement and future
of passenger service are diam
etrically opposed.
For the Record
To the Editor: Just for the
record:
I've been honored a couple
times within the past few
months, by having my name ap
pear in news items in your col
umns. Both times my affilia
tions or past affiliations have
been misstated.
In your issue of Friday 12th
inst. on the front page you
have me as the Multnomah coun
ty assessor. Here again there is
a misstatement as I happen to
be the Multnomah county sur
veyor. However, it is quite true
that I am a candidate as a "write
in" for position No. 1, Oregon
Supreme Court justice.
If you will look in the Offi
cial Voters' Pamphlet on page
18, you will see a very definite
reason, as to why I am a candi
date and expect to be elected.
It is my contention that,
should Measure No. 4 be voted
on favorably on Nov. 6 general
election, then there will be abol
ished, as soon as the votes are
counted and accepted, county
coroners or county surveyors in
the state of Oregon with author
ity to act in accordance with the
laws. The people will have re
moved from the constitution the
office of coroner and surveyor.
Should it become necessary,
the coroner is the only officer
who could arrest the sheriff.
Should it become necessary,
the surveyor is the only officer
who can be called into court on
certain matters pertaining to
surveys as an expert witness
with authority to advise the
court.
It was the State Bar Associa
tion who sponsored and promot
ed this proposed amendment. It
was also the Bar Association
that brought pressure on the
1949 legislature to pass an un
constitutional legislative act re
garding surveyors.
This act of the 1949 legisla
ture was challenged by me. I
carried it to the Supreme Court
and secured a unanimous deci
sion as to the unconstitution
ality. The Bar Association has had
many, many years to correct the
constitutionality of having only
members of the bar as judicial
officers. They have done nothing
about it.
I charge that the State Bar
Association has, through the
years, established in Oregon a
legal political oligarchy and It's
about time that the people took
the matter in hand and do some
thing about it. For these and
many other reasons, and because
I am legally qualified, also be
cause the opportunity has pre
sented itself, I have become a
"write-in" candidate for position
No. 1, justice of the Supreme
Court.
Peter W. Welch
Multnomah County
Surveyor
Portland, Ore.
Back to AI Sarena
Tn fhp Editor: Manv editorials
have been printed in the Med
ford Mail Tribune about the Al
Sarena mine.
How many editorials have
been nrinted in the Medford
Mail Tribune about the false
pictures taken of the AI Sarena
mine?
How manv editorials have
been printed in the Medford
Mail Tribune about Estes ft.e
fauver aiding the McDonalds in
obtaining their patents?
How many editorials have
been printed in the Medford
Mail Trihune about the Demo
crats killing plan A and our big
dam on Roeue river at Lewis
creek after many taxpayers' dol
lars were spent surveying ana
drilling?
Those trees grew in the forest
but the dollars that were spent
on plan A were not grown on
trees, they came direct from the
taxpayers' pocketbook.
Cora Fain
Shady Cove, Ore.
He is for Wayne Morse
To the Editor: When we get
into politics, most anything can
happen our own stuff may
backfire. For instance today I
received a sheet which was filled
with facts about Wayne Morse.
I like Wayne so naturaUy read
every word of it.
It has always been an ac
cepted fact that "a wise man
often changes his mind while a
fool never does."
No one, not even his arch
enemies, has ever "accused
Wayne of being a fool.
It would be my guess that tlje
average voter wUl have that in
his mind when he goes to the
polls Nov. 6 and casts his vote
for Wayne Morse.
Carl D. Garman
Jacksonville, Ore.
Use of Newsprint
Said Up This Year
New York J(U.R) The Ameri
can Newspaper Publishers Asso
ciation reported Thursday that
newsprint consumption for the
first nine months of this year in
creased 3.7 per cent over the
same period last year.
For September newsprint con
sumption was up 2.4 per cent
over September, 1955, and 12
per cent for September, 1954,
the ANPA reported.
American newspapers used
572,276 tons of newsprint in Sep
tember and 5,072,076 tons the
first nine months of 1956.
The average cost of a prescrip
tion in this country, according
to information from the Health
News Institute in New York, is
$2.40.
Palestine Area Replaces Suez
As World's
By CHARLES M. McCANN
United Press Correspondent
The week's good and bad
news on the international bal
ance sheet:
Palestine
The Palestine area replaced
the Suez Canal zone as the No.
1 danger spot in the Middle East.
Heavy raids by
I s r aeli forces
on f r o n t i er
posts in Jordan
increased ten
sion between
Israel and the
Arab countries.
Israel said its
attacks were
made in retail
ed.. M. Mccaju. tiQn for border
raids by Jordanian guerrillas.
Iraq promised to send troops
to reinforce Jordan if needed to
Editorial Comment
'The Treatment
Are we about to get "the
treatment?" A newspaper pub
lished in a city which has had
"the treatment" says we are.
The Roseburg News-Review
warns residents of Salem, Al
bany and Eugene that the South
ern Pacific is softening them up
for the same sort of dirty-shirt
treatment it administered to
Roseburg, Grants Pass, Medford
and Ashland in other years.
The tip-off, says Editor Charles
Stanton, is the Espee's an
nounced intention of cutting
service on the Shasta Daylight
streamliner to three runs a week
This, he says, will make Wil
lamette Valley residents even
less likely to think of traveling
by train. And this will cut pas
senger patronage. And this will
make the railroad lose more
money on passenger traffic. And
this will demonstrate to state
authorities, that the Espee can't
afford to run the Shasta at all.
Pretty soon: No more pas
senger service in these parts,
just as there is no more south
of Eugene on the Rogue River
route.
We hope Mr. Stanton is wrong.
But, even before he warned us
that what happened down South
might happen up here, we were
worried. We were worried first
by the announced rate increase
which can have onlyne result
fewer passengers. We were
worried even before that as we
noticed that "customer service"
was a principle entirely foreign
to so many railroads, including
the Espee.
We like that Shasta. It's a
good train snooty porters,
grabby waiters, surly conductors
and aU. It's fun to ride the train.
It's relaxing and it's easy and
it's cheap. And, heaven forbid,
if we get into another war, it
will be necessary to ride the
train.
Of course if the Espee is really
losing money on its passenger
runs, we can understand the
company's desire to get out of
the business. But we hope that
before the Oregon Public Utili
ties Commission grants either
the rate increase or the cut-back
in service, auditors go over the
Espee figures. A lot depends
upon how the books are kept
Meanwhile those of us who
like trains and who regard rail
as the finest way to travel,
should do our parts to see to it
that the 'Espee cannot plead
lack of customers as a reason
for cutting off or suspending
local service in the Willamette
Valley. Eugene Register-Guard.
Fluoridation Re-examined
Last week the PorUand City
Club voted to reaffirm its 1955
stand that fluoridation of the
municipal water supply would
be a safe and beneficial move.
The report of its investigating
committee was brief and to the
point. It noted that a previous-
committee had made a thorough
study of the pros and cons of
fluoridation. Instead of rework
ing the same ground, the new
committee concerned itself only
with analysis of new evidence
in the case.
Here, in a nutshell, was the
finding:
In this interim, no valid
evidence has appeared indicat
ing that fluoride in the amount
recommended was harmful.
On the contrary, among the
22,000 people now consuming
fluoridated water, there is no
report of any harmful effects.
The medical and dental as
sociations maintain their in
dorsements; all scientific so
cities previously indorsing flu
oridation continue to do so.
Standard text books used in
medical and dental schools
continue to point out the value
of fluoridation and emphasize
freedom from hazard.
This newspaper finds itself in
much the same situation as the
new City Club fluoridation com
mittee. AU the arguments for
and against fluoridation have
been presented in these pages
in past months and years, ex
haustively and repeatedly.
One reason we can see little
purpose in further discussion of
the evidence in the fluoridation
question is that there is no agree
ment on what "evidence" means.
When reputable scientific or
ganizations and respected public
officials such as Oregon's health
officer. Dr. Harold Erickson, of
fer proof of the merits of fluori-
8 g 1
Hot Trouble'Spot
meet Israeli aggression. Egypt
said that it would regard an at
tack on any Arab country as an
attack on Egypt itself.
Great Britain, pledged to de
fend Jordan if Israel attacked,
was reported sending its newest
supersonic jet fighter planes to
reinforce Royal Air Force units
stationed in that country.
London said that any of the
new jets sent to Jordan would
be merely on training flights.
But dispatches from Jordan said
the planes were arriving and
were ready for action.
In Washington, Secretary of
State John Foster Dulles gave a
reminder that President Eisen
hower had expressed determi
nation last April to aid any vic
tim of aggression in the Middle
East.
Sues
British Prime Minister An
thony Eden and Foreign Secre
tary Selwyn Lloyd flew to Paris
to discuss the Suez situation
with French Premier Guy Mol
let and Foreign Minister Chris-
tian Pineau.
A joint communique issued
after their discussions intimated
that it would be. up to Egypt to
make any proposals which might
lead to any new negotiations on
the Suez dispute.
Reports in London, Paris and
Cairo indicated that Egypt might
make the proposals, and that
Britain, France and Egypt were
likely to meet in Geneva, Swit
Crop Situation Good
In 56, Babson Says
BY Roger W. Babson
Babson Park, Mass. As far as
crop production is concerned,
American farmers have done an
outstand
ing job in re
cent years,
despite acre
age c o n t rols
and in s o m e
sect ions un
favor able
growing con
ditions. Al
though I do
Eoter w uaDion not look for a
record total outturn this year, it
should not be far under the re
latively high level of 1955.
Wheat did somewhat better
this season than last, but the
total indicated crop was 16 per
cent under the 1945-1954 average
of 1,148,289,000 bushels. How
ever, we can get along well
enough for a while without bil:
lion-bushel wheat crops, since
the bread grain at present con
stitutes one of the major surplus
farm commodities. The U. S. car-,
ryover last July 1 topped one
billion bushels, but much of it
was in government hands. The
loan program will again siphon
a substantial portion of the cur
rent crop out of commercial
channels. This fact is a favorable
sign.
Most of the other summer
harvest crops did fairly well,
with oats perhaps the major ex
ception. Although the outturn
was the smallest since 1945,
total supplies should suffice.
Ample supplies of barley and
flaxseed will be available for the
1956-1957 season. The barley
crop was the fourth, and the
flaxseed crop the second, largest
of record. Farmers this year pro
duced the third largest hay crop
ever, but spot supplies in
drought-stricken areas may be
tight from time to time. I expect
grain and hay prices to average
higher over the longer term.
Corn, Soybean Outlook
There is no question as to the
adequacy of corn for the current
season. The above-average 1956
crop, plus the large carryover
from previous years, spells
record total supplies. Since the
government owns or controls
more than 1,000,000.000, bushels,
and since I forecast that a size
able portion of the 1956 crop
will enter the loan, free stocks
need not prove burdensome.
While moderate price weakness
is likely during heavy shipments
this fall, the market should
average higher as the season
advances.
The U. S. 1956 soybean crop is
by far the largest on record,
and will exceed total require-
dation, its enemies counter with
attacks both on the credibility
of the evidence and the integrity
of those who cite it."
As an example, a mimeograph
ed broadside signed by Susanna
Healley and being distributed
to Portland homes along with
other anti-fluoridation literature
bearing the imprint of the Pure
Water Committee of the Health
Education League of Portland,
Inc., has this to say:
Some unscrupulous dispens
ers of POISONOUS FLUO
RINE, some ignorant Doctors,
and some traitorous bureau
crats, have amalgamated a
sinister propaganda for SLOW
MASS MURDER of the living
and unborn, and the fattening
of their purses.
Anyone capable of writing,
distributing or putting credence
in such a statement certainly
will not be swayed by any words
of ours. We can only hope, for
the sake of the future dental
health of Portland's youngsters,
that holders of such a point of
view are few in number.
Portland Oregonian.
V5"
zerland, in the next two weeks
to discuss them.
Titoism
Wladislaw Gomulka, former
Polish Communist leader who
spent nearly five years in pris
on as a "Titoist" because he op
posed the late Josef Stalin's
domination of his country's af
fairs, was restored fully to good
standing.
President Eisenhower, after a
survey of the position of Presi
dent Tito in relation to the Sov
iet government, authorized the
continuation of economic aid to
Yugoslavia. But he withheld
any shipments of heavy military
equipment "until the situation
can be more accurately apprais
ed." In Belgrade, Tito and his aides
conferred with a Communist del
egation from Hungary, which
like Poland appeared to be
climbing aboard the Titoist
bandwagon and loosening its ties
with Russia.
West Germany
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer
of West Germany shook up his
cabinet. He named Franz-Josef q
Strauss, his atomic energy min
ister, as the new defense minis
ters. It was indicated Strauss
would carry out a radical change
in West Germany's rearmament
program. The new German army
probably will be limited to 300,
000 instead of 500,000 men and
will be based on (the use of tac
tical atomic weapons.
merits by a wide margin. Just
how much downward pressure
these heavy supplies will exert
on prices remains to be seen. The
test should come soon, with
marketings at their seasonal
peak. The government loan,
which averages $2.15 a bushel on
the farm, could buttress prices.
Growers and processors have
discussed the problem of heavy
soybean supplies with the gov
ernment, and further govern
ment moves may be made to
help prices.
Other Fall Crops
The 1956 U. S. cotton crop,
now being harvested is not bur
densome, since indications are
that domestic consumption and
exports wUl exceed it. Although
the carryover last Aug. 1 was
huge around 14,500,000 bales
a large part of this reserve was
in government hands and will
not glut commercial channels.
The- good present demand, 'plus
the influence of the CCC loan,
could strengthen cotton prices.
The indicated dry bean crop
is not far from average and
should suffice for needs. The
rice outturn is somewhat above
average, but need not prove
burdensome. I now forecast that
prices of both these items will
work higher over the longer
term. The late potato crop is
on the heavy side, but the gov
ernment's diversion program
should prevent any drastic price
decline this fall.
A Glance Ahead
The course of farm prices is
vital not only to farmers them
selves, but to the nation. The
trend has been moderately down
ward for several months, but the
drop from mid-August to mid
September was only 0.5 per cent.
While further slight near-term
weakness is possible, the future
is uncertain.
Concerning the problem of
farm surpluses, acreage controls
and the Soil Bank program could
prove quite helpful for awhile;
but I fear we have not yet found
the ultimate solution. I do not
know how farmers feel about the
coming Presidential election, but
I hope they will honor the
dictates of their conscience'Snd
keep the welfare of the countnj
as a whole clearly in mind.
Most of Nation
Has Fair Weather
By UNITED PRESS
Fair weather prevailed
throughout most of the nation
today, but cooler air was expect
ed to cover coastal states from
Maine to Virginia.
Rain and showers continued
during the night in the Carolinas
and Montana, but otherwise the
nation was free of precipitation.
Shower activity, however, was
expected over the northern half
of the Rockies, western Oregon
and Washington and from Texas
northward into southern Kansas
and southwestern Missouri.
The southern half of the Plains
region, the Far Northwest and
the Northeast also were cooler.
Early today the mercury drop
ped to 27 degrees at Pellston,
Mich., and to 18 degrees at Fras
er, Colo., to make those spots
two of the coldest regions in the
country.
Some warming was expected
over the upper Great Lakes area
today while slightly cooler tem
peratures were forecast for the
area from North Dakota and
Montana southwestward to Utah
and eastern Nevada.
Five hundred gallons should
be the minimum capacity of new
septic tank installations for
farm homes.