Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-25
TEXT Of MESSAGE
vETO|NC FARM BILL
President Declares McNary-
Haugen Measure to Be
Discriminatory.
Continued from Fourth Page

CONTINUED from Fourth PageD
allowed except on cotton. Any year
therefore that large corn or wheat
crop is estimated which turns out to
be too high too much money would
be collected, and as it Is not return
able 1t would result in so much loss
to the farmer If the crop were un-
derestimated, the fee might not fur
nish a large enough sum to sustain
the market on that particular com
modify
Reversal of Sound Policy
THE main policy of this bill is. AN
entire reversal Of what has been
heretofore thought to be sound In
stead of undertaking to secure
method of orderly marketing which
will dispose of products at a profit, 1t
proposes to dispose Of them at loss.
1t runs counter to the principle of
conservation, which would require us
to produce only what can be done at
profit, not to waste our soil and re-
sources producing what is to be sold
at loss to us for the benefit of the
foreign consumer. 1t runs counter to
the wel-considered principle that a
healthy economic condition is best
maintained through free play of
competition by undertaking to permit
a legalized restraint OF trade in these
commodities and establish a species of
monopoly under Government protec-
ton, supported by the unlimited power
Of The farm board to levy fees and
enter into contracts. For many gen
eratfons such practices have been de-
nounced by law as repugnant to the
public welfare. 1t can not he that
they would now be found to be bene
fetal to agriculture.
Held Unconstitutional.
This measure is so long and in.
volved that 1t is impossible to discuss
il without going into many tiresome
details. Many other reasons exist
why 1t ought not to be approved, but
1t is impossible to state them all with
out writing book. The most decisive
one is that 1t is not constitutional
This feature In discussed in an opinion
of the Attorney General, herewith at
tached and made a part hereof, 20 that
/ shall not consider the details of that
phase Of my objections. OF course it
includes some good features. Some of
its provisions, intended to aid and
strengthen cooperative marketing.
have been borrowed from proposals
that do represent the general trend of
constructive thought on the agricul-
tural problem. In this measure, how
ever, these provisions are all complete
ly s1bordinated to the main objective
which Is to have the Government dis
pose of exportable SURPRISES at IL
loss and make some farmer taxpayers
foot the bill. This is not a measure
to help cooperative marketing Its
effect, on the contrary, is to eliminate
the very conditions of advantage that
now induce farmers to join together to
regulate and improve their own bust
ness
That there Is a real and vital
agricultural problem is keenly appre.
ciated by all informed men. The evi.
dence fs all to convincing that agricul-
ture has not been receiving it's fair
share of the national income since
the war. Farmers and business men
directly dependent upon agriculture
have suffered and in many cases still
suffer from conditions beyond their
control. They are entitled 40 and
will have every consideration at the
hands Of the Government
surely, real farm relief measure
must be just and impartial and open
the day to aid for all farmers. Surely, |
1t must not contemplate, as this meas !
ure inescapabIy does. that farmers in
some regions should be penalized for
the benefit Of those in other regions |
Surely. 1t must be aimed to promote
the welfare Of the community at large |
There Is no thoughtful man who does
not fully appreciate how vital a pros
porous agriculture Is to this Nation. |
1t must be helped and strengthened. |
To saddle 1t with unjust. unavoidable
schemes of governmental control is
to invite disaster worse than any that |
has yet befallen our farmers.
Many Farmers Oppose Plan.
ut has been represented that this
bill has been unanimously approved by
our farmers. Several of our largest
farm organizations have refused to
support 1t. and important minorities
in the members and leadership among
the most important organization who
are recorded as giving it Endorsement
have protested to me against it,
ut is not to be thought that the
farmers of the United. States want
our agricultural policy founded upon |
legislation as is proposed in this
measure. The final judgment OF
American farmers always has been
and will be on the constructive rather
than the destructive side. What the
farmers want and what the American
people as whole will approve, is leg !
is!ation which will not substitute gov
ernmental bureaucracy for individual |
and cooperative initiative, but will !
facilitate the constructive efforts OF |
the farmers themselves in their own |
self governed, organizations.
Although these arguments and |
others have been advanced in Con |
gress and outside, | find little attempt |
has been made to answer them. The !
press Ore for this bill arises primarily
from the natural and proper sympathy !
with the farm distress from the after !
war imitation speculation and collapse. |
Many sincere and thoughtful people !!
have expended a great deal of tigTIe |
and energy in working out this meas
ure and are entirely honest and hon. |
orable In their advocacy Of it. 1t is |
d great regret to me- that ] am unable |
co come to the conclusion that the bill |
would help agriculture, he OF benefit |
to the country and be .in accord with |
the Constitution.
"Other plans have been proposed |
in Congress- for advancement in this !
recovery, Which plans offer promise |,
of sound assistance to the farmers
without these unconstitutionalities !
invasion Of Executive authority, this |
contracting with packers and -four
millers and other manufacturers. this |
syerproduction with its imitation and
inevitable crash, without this in
direct price fixing, buying and selling, |
this creation of huge bureaucracies. |
They are. on the contrary. devoted
entirely TO the principle of building
up farmer controlled marketing con-
Germs to handle their problems, in
Guiding occasional surplus produc-
:tion. and applicable to all agriculture
and not to a minor fraction. | have
frequently urged such. legislation. RI
wish again to renew my recommen-
6ation that some such plan be
adopted.