The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-07-11

wv daily rise and fall Of issues
for campaign purposes farm relief
was uppermost today.
Developments included:
l. Hoover's reported decision not
to answer the questions Of W. H.
Settle, president Of the Indiana
Farm Bureau Federation, regarding
his personal position" on farm re-
lief, as AL Smith has done.
2. Report of the Agriculture De-
partment on prospects Of a record
crop acreage for the country.
8. Demands by minority farmer
labor meeting in Chicago for new
party realignment on the agricul-
tural issue.
Political chiefs of the two old
parties are not much concerned by
any action which may be taken by
the Farmer-Labor meeting, though
such constant repetition Of the
charge that the farmers can expect,
no real relief from Democrats or
Republicans tends to keep the po-
litical sentiment of farmers "un-
stable" it is said.
If Hoover's associates are ln~
formed accurately, the Republican
presidential candidate definitely has
made up his mind not to state his
personal position on farm relief, as
requested by Settle.
His aids explain this decision by
saving that Settle is a Democrat
and that therefore Hoover is under
no obligation to answer him. They
add that Hoover repeatedly has re-
fused to outline his policies on any
issue pending his speech accepting
the nomination.
THEY promise in the acceptance
Il address that their candidate
will be sufficiently explicit to satisfy
any reasonable demands Of farm
voters. But observers have no rea-
son to believe the Hoover plan will
depart very far from the general
pledges laid down by the Republican
platform.
1--WE promise every assistance in
the reorganization of the marking
system on sounder and more eco-
nomical lines and, where diversified
ton is needed, governmental finan-
cial assistance during the period of
transition" that platform said.
1t also pledged creation Of "a Fed
eral farm board clothed with the
necessary powers to promote the
establishment of a farm marketing
system of farm owned and con-
trolled Sterilization corporations or
associations to prevent and control
SURPRISES through orderly distribute
ton"
Hoover is also expected to stress
the platform promise to broaden
export markets and to enact meas
ures which will place the agricul-
tural interests Of America on basis
of economic equality with other in
dustry."
If the candidate intends to COM
NIT himself to single definite
measure of legislation to effect this
equality desired by the farmers,
there is every reason to believe it
will not follow the NcNary- Haugen
equalization fee" principle which
President Coolidge vetoed as uncon-
stitutional and fallacious.
Democratic leaders claim Smith
has gained an advantage over the
silent Hoover by replying to the In
diana Farm Bureau official. Smith
said that, if elected, he would call
Immediately farm relief confer
ence to mature legislation for pre-
sentation to the new Congress with
out delay.
GENERAL new factors have been
~ injected into the farm relief po-
litical debate by the Agriculture De-
partment's crop report.
If the departments prediction
holds good there will be the largest
crop acreage this year since 1919.
Production, however, is estimated as
about per cent lower than the
annual average for the last ten
years.
Increased acreage is accounted
for by recent rises in farm product
prices, and also by tight industrial
employment conditions in many
cities, which tend to drive farm boys
back home and keep others at the
pillow.
Since reproduction would make
more acute the present problem Of
marketing SURPRISES, economists are
asking what effect artificial price
fixing and prise-raising would have
in stimulating production, which al
ready is back to the excessive war
time total. y
The departments crop forecast
follows in part:
IF the increases that are now
in prospect materialize. the har-
vested acreage will be the largest
since 1919. I
I'm round figures, the most imS
>portant increases are: Corn, 4 per
cent; barley, 80 per cent; cotton, IL
per cent; potatoes, 8 per cent; to-
bacco, Is per cent; beans, 7 per cent.
The most important decreases are:
Hay, per cent; wheat, is per cent;
rye, 4 per cent.
THE increase in total crop acre.
age is most marked in some Of the
semi-arid sections and in those parts
of the Mississippi and hio valleys,
which suffered from overflow or
from excessively wet conditions DUR
ing the spring of 1927.
I'm other sections, the increases
reflect chiefly the general favorable
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