Evening star., 1932-09-14

In -. ROOSeVeltS ADDRESS mere tOOay.
| I have come here not alone to talk
to you about farms and farming. ]
have come just as much and even more
| am seeking, as on many previous
section Of the Nation which Is re-
| sponsible for the major part Of the
food supply of the Nation.
In my contacts here and In the dis
| cussions that I have. want to hear
from men and women of all parties
and OF all views on the question of
farm relief. I am going to follow one
simple principle of this discussion, and
| that is complete and absolute frank
ness. This question is too serious to be
trifled with by empty political plati-
tudes or specious and ingenious tricks
| of language or of thought. In dealing
with this subject / want to avoid on
| the one hand political sky-Writing, and
In keeping faith with this principle
of getting down to business, let me
say what think we all recognize-that
| there Is no single remedy that will by
itself bring immediate prosperity to
the agricultural population of all parts
Of the United States. You know that
and know that, and 1t Is good point
to start from.
Qualities Self as Farmer.
I know this personally for four rea-
sons. First, have lived on a farm in
the State Of New York for SO years
Second. have run farm in the State
| of Georgia for eight years. Third, ever
since I went into public life I have
made it a point to travel over this
country, and in so doing have main
tanned what think modesty will per-
nit me to say is genuine and prac-
tical interest in the farm problems of
the various parts of this country at
first hand. Finally. as Governor of
the State Of New York, the farm prod
ucts of which rank fifth or sixth
among all States of the Union, I have
IN four years devoted myself to build
ing a farm program of which the
people of my State, regardless of party,
have some reason to be proud.
In the campaign for the governorship
in 1928 the fact was properly stressed
that even though New York is often
thought of as a State primarily urban,
mediate and critical Importance. Some
Of the distress that you and the Middle
West have felt was present in parts of
New York in the same acute FORM
Without indulging in excessive prom
ises, 1 assured the farmers of New York
that their problems would be met by
practical and definite action
In the creation of State plan I
recognized the principle of bringing
more than one mind to bear on the
problem and of putting more than one
shoulder to the wheel. Not alone
through the process of appointing COM
missions and calling conferences. but
by the actual enactment of legislation
we built our policies. In the years that
have followed we have attempted a
number of substantial things. They
are set forth in the public record:
Existing tax obligations of local COM
munltieS were lightened to the extent
of S24,000000 a year, State aid for
roads was redistributed on a mileage
basis instead Of on an assessment basis
so that the poorer communities could
enjoy exactly the same assistance in
the improvement of dirt roads as that
given to the richer suburban COM
munities.
Rural Schools Aided
The same principles of aid were ap-
piled to rural schools in order to guar
antee a modern education for the chill
dren of farmers even in the most
sparsely settled communities. The
State assumed the entire cost of con-
structing and reconstructing roads and
bridges in the State highway systems,
thus lifting another heavy tax burden
from farm property. The State paid
all except very small fraction of the
cost of grade-croSsing elimination so
that safety might be afforded to the
less as well as the more fortunate dis
tricts of the State. Appropriations for
the safeguarding Of rural health were
increased. A provision for funds for
and this is already paying substantial
dividend in more profitable farming,
in its aid to our State reforestation
program and in enabling farmers to get
necessary road Improvements, telephone
lines and electric power lines. The CO.
operative corporation law and the laws
regulating traffic in farm produce were
revised and strengthened in the inter-
est of the farmer. Very recently legis-
lation was enacted to create new sys-
tenn of rural credit organizations to
meet the emergency created by the col
lapse of rural banks.
/ cite these examples to illustrate the
many angles that attended the building
up of this program. The great lesson
of it all is that there is no single cure
all. but that progress comes from a
comprehension of many factors and a
sincere attempt to move forward on
many lines at the same time.
Sees Shadow of Peasantry.
I see no necessity for discussing In
detail the acute distress in which the
farmer finds himself. You all know
that better than any one can tell you.
You have felt it in your own lives and
experiences. And you have seen it re-
fected in limiting the opportunities that
you have wanted to give your families.
This experience of yours is far more
moving than any phrases OF mine or
of any one else. This distress has
grown for more than II years over a
radius of hundreds of miles from where
I stand, in as productive and fertile
country as the world has ever seen.
We have poverty and want in the midst
of abundance With incompatible nat
ural wealth within the reach of these
progressive farmers they struggle with
poverty and unbelievably hard times.
They try to hold their farms under
conditions produced by corn, hogs, cot
ton, wool and cattle and wheat selling
on the farm at prices as low or lower
SPECIAL NOTICES.
/ WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY
hills contracted by one Other tnan my