The nonpartisan leader., 1919-09-22

|001 VA V.@I secretary of agriculture, is the
I007 IA E0M@I conclusion drawn from the ac-
@@gv @@-m1M0nnnI1l m.10nnI1l tion of the secretary David F.
mMzMzMzmzmzzmMMl Houston, in refusing ndorse-
ment of bill to provide i'm
mediate relief The attitude of Houston may kill
bill introduced by Representative James H. Sim
clair of North Dakota to appropriate $5,O0OOOO
for loans to farmers in the drouth regions.
After the bill had been in the hands of the Sec
retary of agriculture for several weeks, he return
ed it to Mr.. Sinclair together with letter explain
ing his stand. Briefly, the secretary holds that
federal assistance to the farmers should take the
form of reclamation work rather than in direct
loans to the affected farmers.
In view of the fact that the proposed reclamation
work will take Is or 20 years, many of the farm
ers who suffered from the drouth will get no aid
whatever and in hundreds of cases will lose all
their investment and labor in these farms. Ma
terial reduction in food production also is apt to
result from Mr.. Houstons action, since it will tend
to stop farming in the regions affected.
Mr.. Houston indirectly gives his Endorsement to
proposal that the drouth-stricken farmers in
stead of getting federal aid, should become day la
borers until the time that the government can get
around to the reclamation project
After its introduction, Sinclairs bill was referred
to the house appropriations committee whose
chairman, Representative Good of Iowa, asked that
Houston pass on the bill. 1t took several weeks
for Mr. Houston to make any reply to Sinclair's
request for a statement of his attitude
"After careful consideration of the NATTER"
tne secretary wrote nnaly, the question arises
whether, with such aid may be given
through local and national organizations to re-
ieve the people in distress, a sounder public
policy would not be to undertake necessary
reclamation construction work in the regions
affected, which is now held in allegiance
count of the lack of funds and also to prose-
cute vigorously road-building operations and
such other public works may be feasible"
A leading thought in Mr. Houston's mind in this
connection, it appears, is that homesteaders and
even settled farmers who have been forced into
bankruptcy through the drouth could be readily
utilized labor in constructing the various irri-
cation projects Indeed, Representative Riddick of
Montana, who has a reclamation bill involving
$50000,000 appropriation in committee, was re-
Gently told by former Assistant Secretary of Agri-
culture Ousley that such work for outh-stricken
farmers appears to be very practical way of
enabling them to maintain themselves without
charity through the existing acute emergency so
that they be in position to again take up their
farming operations when climatic conditions per-
nit"
Coming on top of so many instances of indiffer-
to the farmers needs in the department of
agriculture-the Brand wheat grades, the sabotage
of Doctor Spillmans honest, far-sighted work, the
unsavory records of Ousley and other high officials
this latest rebuff is arousng intense indignation
among farm representatives at the capitol.
NEED TOO IMMEDIATE
FOR RECLAMATION SCHEME
eff Mr.. Houston had taken any pains to ia
marize himself with the situation" said Repre-
sentative Sinclair, che would have realized that
the problem is too widespread and serious for
state relief, too immediate for delay until reclama-
tion schemes be put into effect. My bill speci
fes that the secretary of agriculture shall have
full discretion in determining the security which
loans would be made; no loss to the treasury is in
volved if the matter is handled carefully.
"The serious drop in food production result