Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-31

While there Is some disagreement 81
to the probable policies that may re-
ceive the support of Sam II. Thompson
as a member Of the Federal Farm
Board, there is much optimism as to
his ultimate influence. It Is especially
emphasized that because Of his wide
influence exerted as head of the Ameri-
can Farm Bureau Federation he Is
likely to be harmonizing influence II
agriculture.
HE aburldantly possesses q quality
which the board greatly needS-ability
to persuade farmers to pull together, .
declares the San Antonio Express, look
ing forward to the possibility that the
board may get the farmers perma-
nently organized In co-operativeS." Re-
ferring to him as "a dirt farmer" OF
Adams County, ILL.,, the Rockford Morn
ing Star says: I'VE look for Sam
Thompson to take to Washington q
large fund of common sense. It will
be needed at a time when there is
growing pressure for the abandonment
Of the present agricultural act and the
substitution Of more idealistic plans, In
GLIDING the export debenture measure.
The task before him Is to help make
the agricultural act work"
whether the minority Of the farmers
like it or not" according to the Lin
coin State Journal, cor whether q mis-
take has been made In seeking to dis
pense with the organized private mar
keting facilities, the Government has
embarked upon the business of setting
up a purely farmer owned and con-
trolled system of handling major crops.
There is scarcely the slightest chance
that 1t will be abandoned. That being
true, man like Mr. Thompson, with
his driving force and the fact that he
Is himself a large producer, Is just the
right kind Of man to head the work. "
X X
The Kansas City Star halls "the first
definite recognition of any officer of a
nationwide agricultural organization
on the membership of the Farm Board"
that large majority Of farmers
who have not devoted their energies to
q highly specialized crop or product. He
will bring to the Farm Board long years
of experience gained In general and
diversified production. He will not be
a special representative of the wheat,
cotton, live stock, tobacco or fruit in
terests, but of the general farmers, and
those who have actively sup
ported the Farm Bureau since it was
first organized"
There can be no question that his
heart Is in the work" thinks the Omaha
World Herald, which offers the COM
ment, "If, taking up where Legge quit,
he can perform the miracle Of making
the Hoover plan for agricultural relief
effective, he will be entitled to q mon
ument that would oYershadow the whole
State Of Illinois" The Rock Island
Argus holds that che has an undoubted
right to speak for agriculture, and it is
difficult to see how the President could
have selected for membership on the
Farm Beard one who is more directly
representative of the farming interests
of the Nation" The Jackson Citizen
Patriot agrees that che will be able to
speak with authority"
"By enlisting Mr.. Thompson for serv-
ice the President may have forestalled
widespread hostility on the part of the
dirt farmer 20 its activities, which are
likely to be q lively issue in the next
session Of Congress-" states the Hart
ford Courant, while the Dayton Daily
News calls him the possible receiver
for q tragedy" with the explanation:
IF he tries to serve the farmers and
also the politics to which his post COM
mits him, Mr.. Thompson will have the
always incident to going in
opposite directions at the one and the
same time. He would have done better
to stay with his farmers. The new
Farm Board member will also have the
trouble of reaping the crop which Mr..
Legge and his associates sowed when
they attempted with Government money
to manipulate the priceaof cotton and
grain. The result is vast stock of
these products in Government hands,
worth fortunes less than it cot. Incl
dentally, the foreign market fon Alneri-
can cotton and wheat has been de-
stroyed. Unless an extraordinary crep