Show FOR TRACTORS farmers caught ca aboa aj ht by black mail gradually deteriorating prewar machines and implements plus a shortage of rural labor are the two principal factors ble for de of a flourishing black market in farm equipment ament accord ing to manufacturers and dealers groups who have pronounced the sit bation fairly widespread secondary circumstances which support the existence of this bartic ular black market are the lebed height of farm income and the apparent determination of the nation s farm population to advance to new levels of mechanization thus the demand tor for farm equip ment continues to be almost in satiable even the heavy erupted output of the entire farm equipment industry has failed to still the clamor of the hungry market it has been common practice this summer for farmers to pay huge premiums on such pieces of equip ment as trac tractor hay balers and corn pickers all of which have cus bomers on dealers waiting lists tractors priced at 1000 1 have sold for as high as 3 or 3 hay balers which are used on hay three times a season and have other farm uses have been finding buyers at double or triple the list price pointing up these mal practices on the part of individuals one manu tac fac referred to the particularly bad black market in combines M lm when one wheat farmer for example has his crop harvested someone will drive up and ask him how much he paid for his combine the farmer might say 2 when the stranger asks how much be he would sell it for the farmer picking a num ber out of the hat might say 3 then to the farmer s surprise the stranger peels off so 30 bills and takes the corn bine off his hands the farmer would have got 3 if be he had asked it because the stranger took the combine north and sold it tor for 4 |