Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1919-11-29
FARMERS VICTIMS OF RE.
PUBLICANS.
Congress Cuts Needed ApprO-
priatiOn in Interests Of "Po.
litical" Economy.

/, Is pfdCtlcaliN accepted by TINS
tlmc that there is no enthusiasm
Tor the farmer on the part of the
present Republican majority in
Congress. Looking around in
the special session lust closed
tor some opportunity to plune
appropriations and thus make Il
surface showing OF economy for
THEN own political purposes the
Republican leaders picked ont
the farmer and his problems is
an object OF attack. The natural
result. Of course, was to cripple
and limit the activities OF the
Agriculture Department and
leave il to fight a lone hand in
its effort to place farming indus
Try Of the country on an organ
lied business basis.
Treating the farming element
as Il part OF the national problem
the Department advocated the
Smith-Levef bill in 1911 which
made adequate provision for SyS-
tematzng farming as il national
industry. y program of States
relations was developed, calcu-
lated 10 bring the farmers closer
together, To distribute Informal
ton on farm development and
farm management gathered
rom various parts OF the coun-
thy INTO sections where this in
formation would be Of great
value. to acquaint the farmer
with methods and amounts Of
production and systems OF dis
lribution used in Other. com
muniticS and in general to put
the farming industry of the
counUN on a national business
basis.
This program, to have been
developed To its highest point i'm
1922. had to he brought rapidly
to Il head during tie war to meet
the emergency demand for food.
Agencies OF the Government
wore developed 90 their maxi
mum strength and efficiency.
The cooperating bureaus of
agricultural colleges and county
farming agencies were increased
in concert with those of the de-
partment.
At the end OF the war the de-
partmcnt had an emergency APP
preparation of So. 100. 600 to be
used in conjunction with the
funds appropriated annually
under the original Smith-Lcver
act. Congress WAS asked to con-
tinuc this work by permanent
appropriation Of $l.500. 900
This would have acted as a bal
ance between the appropriation
for this year and the increased
appropriation OF 1922.
Hard Blow for Farmers.
The emergency appropriation
automatically discontinued last
June. but the newly requested
appropriation would have been
enough to have kept the pro-
gram going on the scale TO which
il had been developed during the
war q scale which the country
generally recognized to he need
ed. Congress however. decided
to reduce the permanent appro-
priation asked Wy - 700. 600. In
effect, this curtaiment Of activ-
ity not only put the farming
industry of the country back two
year, in its development. but
neccS>itatcd the tearing down Of
much Of the constructive organi-
zation already bui to handle the
farm production problem
Further curtailments in APP
preparations for work on cost of
production figures demanded by
the farmers over the country
has greatly reduced the work
planned for the Office of farm
management. These reports
have become an economic neceS-
sity in financing and directing
the modern farm. and the Gov
eminent is practically the only
agency able to secure them ade-
quate'y and accurately. The APP
preparation for the market news
service was cut down so as to
almost eliminate that service on
which the farmer. the middle
man and the consumer base their
quotations and the West and the
East are left without any impair
tial ant hovit \ IN pI.icau ~. p,,.p