Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17
SENATORS ANALYZE
AGRICULTURAL ILLS
MCNary and Smith Outline
Remedies in Address
Over Radio.

The ills of agriculture were diagnosed
and the remedies likely to result in cure
were outlined to Nationwide audience
by two of the closest followers of farm
questions in Congress, Senators Nc
Nary, Republican, of Oregon and Smith,
Democrat, of South Carolina, when
they spoke last night in the third of
the weekly radio forums arranged by
The Evening Star and sponsored by the
Columbia Broadcasting Co.
From Station WMAL in this city
their views on this question, which soon
will be before the special session of
Congress, went out to radio listeners in
various sections of the country on Ma
tion-wide chain hook-up.
Senator McNary, who as chairman
of the agriculture committee. will take
a leading role in handling farm legis-
lation in the upper branch, predicted a
tariff bill adequate ito protect the pro-
ducers of farm products against ruinous
foreign competition" and a farm bill
TO provide abundant funds to assist in
the orderly marketing Of the products
of the farm He expressed these views
without forecasting the exact nature of
what Congress will enact.
Smith Sees Organization Need.
Senator Smith. who is the ranking
minority member of the agriculture
committee. summed up his analysis of
the agricultural situation with the dec
laration that the solution lies in organ
izing and financing" Disagreeing with
Senator McNary on the subject of the
tariff, Senator Smith said lit is idle to
speak of the tariff as beneficial to the
farmer so long as he has no power to
AK the price of his product so as to
benefit by the tariff
Senator McNary emphasized that the
agricultural problem lis not single
one, but rather a bundle of problems"
He called attention to many difficulties
in the fields of production and market
ing, aside from the more urgent issues
of how to handle the surplus crops.
Disposition of the surplus. he said, con-
templates immediate results, but there
are other farm problems, frequently
overlooked, which will require time and
study for their solution.
Market Broadening Advanced.
Senator Smith took the view that If
the farmer can be so organized and
financed that he can charge legitimate
cost and profit in the price of the
thing he produces 'the burden then
will be universally distributed, rather
than borne by him alone"
Senator McNary suggested that much
can be done to broaden the domestic
markets for many farm products and
that foreign markets and competition
are no less important. He said the eX-
ecutive departments should provide a
market information service on foreign
competition and demand which would
keep the American farmer thoroughly
apprised of the influences which tend
to increase or decrease the foreign out
lets for his products. He also suggested
broadening of the Federal intermediate
credit system and said that in some
sections of the country freight rates
are bearing down with undue weight on
agriculture
Senator Smith said the farm problem
is not new one. but has been more
acute since the World Wa- "and par
ticularly since def1ation in 1920" The
plane of living. he said, has been tre-
mendously raised in few years and
that agriculture has been unable to
keep step with the rising tide of mod
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