Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1929-04-18
HOOVER'S FARM
RELIEF MESSAGE
Federal Farm Board is Nucleus of
Relief Plan President Gives to
Congress, in First Message; Other
Matters Stressed

Washington, April 16-Here IS
full text of Presidents message to
the special session of congress:
To the congress of the United
States:
have called this special session of
congress to redeem two pledges given
in the last election-farm relief and
limited changes in the tariff.
The difficulties of the agricultural
industry arise out of a multitude Of
causes A heavy indebtedness was
inherited by the industry from the
deflation processes Of 1920. Disor-
Gerly and wasteful methods of mark
citing have developed. The growing
specialization in the industry has for
years been increasing the proportion
and, in consequence, prices have been
unduly depressed by congested
marketing at the harvest or by the
occasional climatic surpluses. Rail
way rates have necessarily increased.
There has been a growth of compe-
tition in the world markets from
countries that enjoy cheaper labor or
more nearly virgin soils. There was
? great expansion of production
from our marginal lands during the
war, and upon these profitable en-
terprises under normal conditions
cannot be maintained. Meanwhile
their continued output tends to ag
gravate the situation. Local taxes
have doubled and in some cases
trebled. Work animals have been
steadily replaced by mechanical ap-
plances, thereby decreasing the con-
sumption of farm products. There
are many other contributing causes.
The general result has been that
our agricultural industry has not
kept pace in prosperity or standards
Of living with other lines of indus
try.
There being no disagreement as 20
the need of farm relief, the problem
before US becomes one of method by
which relief may be most success
fully brought about. Because of the
multitude of causes and because ag
riculture is not one industry but d
score of industries we are confront
ed not with a single problem alone
but a great number of problems.
Therefore, there is no single plan or
principle that can be generally ap-
piled. Some of the forces working
to the detriment of agriculture can
be greatly mitigated by improving
our waterway transportation; some
of them by readjustment of the
tariff; some by better understanding
and adjustment Of production needs;
and some by Improvement in the
method Of marketing.
An effective tariff upon agricul-
tural products, that will compensate
the farmers higher costs and higher
standards of living, has a dual pur-
pose. Such tariff not only pro-
tects the farmer in our domestic
market but it also stimulates him to
diversity his crops and grow prod
ucts that he could not otherwise
produce, and thus lessons his depend
ence upon exports to foreign mark
cts. The great expansion of produc-
ton abroad under the conditions 5
have mentioned renders foreign
competition in our export markets
increasingly serious. 1t seems but
natural, therefore, that the Ameri-
can farmer, having been greatly
handicapped in his foreign market by
such competition from the younger
expanding countries, should ask that
foreign access to our domestic mark
ct should be regulated by taking
into account the difference in our
costs of production.
The government has special
mandate from the recent election,
not only to further develop our wat
erays and revise the agricultural
tariff, but also to extend systematic
relief in other directions.
l have long held that the multi
plicity of causes of agricultural de-
preston could only be met by the
creation of great instrumentality
clothed with sufficient authority and
resources to assist our farmers to
meet these problems, each upon its
own merits.
The creation of such an agency
would at once transfer the agricul-
tural question from the field of poll
tics into the realm of economics
and would result in constructive ac-
ton. The administration is pledged