Evening star., 1932-09-14
Roosevelt Farm Program
Text of Speech at Topeka Outlining Governors
Six-Point Program for Agricultural
Relief.

than at any time in the history Of the
United States. There has been some
slight rise from these low levels, but
in spite Of it. there remains in millions
Of farm homes continuing uncertainty
and apprehension. This means that
the farmer misses not only the things
that make life tolerable, but those that
made decent living possible. It means
and this is most important-tllat the
farmers children must suffer the de-
nial of those chances for education that
justice and fairness should assure to
them. We all of us hoped that our
children would have a better break"
than we had. But the economic turn
has almost blasted that hope for the
farm parent. This means nothing less
than the shadow of peasantry.
There are six and one-half million
families to whom this deepening shadow
is ha ,oD geasg hsss si anS
cent OF the total population OF the
United States. They are the people
actually living on farms. 1t is fair
to ask what percentage of the national
incomes comes each year to this %
per cent of the population. Let US
remember these figures: In 1920. this
% per cent Of the population got 10
per cent of the national income: In
1925, it received II per cent. BY 1928
agriculture's share had dropped to
only just above 9 per cent and the
most recent estimate, based on the
figures of the United States Department
of Agriculture itself shows that farm
income today has dropped to about 7
per cent.
Remember we'll that during the past
four years when he has been the
Chief Executive of the Nation, and also
as member of the cabinet during
the previous six years, the dominant
policies has been the distinguished
gentleman who is running against me.
Holds Agriculture Pre-Eminent.
But let us not stop at our six and
one-half million farm families. Let US
remember that fifty million men, women
and children within our borders are
directly and Immediately concerned
with the present and the future Of
agriculture.
Again, let us not stop there Another
fifty or sixty million people who are
engaged in business or in industry in
our large and small city communities
are at last coming to an understanding
of the simple fact that their lives and
futures are profoundly concerned with
the prosperity of agriculture. They
realize more and more that there will
be no outlets for their products unless
their fifty million fellow Americans who
are directly concerned with agriculture
are given the buying power to buy city
products.
Our economic life today is a seamless
web. Whatever our vocation, We are
forced to recognize that while We have
enough factories and enough machines
in the United States to supply all our
needs, those factories will be closed part
of the time and these machines will
lie idle part of the time if the buying
power Of fifty million peop'e within
our borders remains restricted or dead
as 1t is today.
pointed out In my speech of accept
ance the interdependence OF the peo-
Pile of the United States-the fact that
we cannot have independence in its
true sense unless we take full account
of our interdependence in order to pro-
vide a balanced economic wellbeing
for all. Industrial prosperity can
reach only artificial and temporary
heights as it did in 1929 If at the same
time there is no agricultural prosperity.
This Nation cannot endure If it is half
boom" and half broke"
Cites Interdependence.
That word "interdependence" applies
also to the relationship between the
different parts OF our country. II IN
the South a cotton-raiSing population
"a haHonSQ
of cotton Is SO low that 1t does not pay
for the cost of production, you in the
wheat belt or in the corn belt are
directly affected by tragedy a thou
sand miles away. If you who raise
wheat or corn lose your homes through
foreclosure, every other farmer in the
East or in the South or on the Pacific
Coast, and every factory worker in
every part of the country is directly
affected by your distress.
Interdependence within the field of
agriculture itself is a vital fact. Every
kind of farming is related to every
other kind. disturbance anywhere
within the structure causes repercus-
sions everywhere.
If we would get to the root of the
difficulty, we will find it in the pres
ent lack Of equality for agriculture.
Farming has not had an even break
In our economic system. The things
that our farmers buy today cost 9 per
cent more than they did before the
World War. The things they sell bring
them AZ per cent less than then. These
figures, as of August /, which are au-
thenticated by the Department of Ag-
riculture, mean that the farm dollar
is worth less than half of what it rep
resented before the war. Remember
this, my friends; the things that farm
erS buy, protected by Mr.. Grundy's
tariff, are per cent above pre-war;
the things that farmers sell-and re-
member world prices fix domestic
prices-are 43 per cent below pre-war
prices. The correction of this condi-
ton must in some way bring the pur-
chasing power of the farmer within
reach of the things that Mr.. Grundy
has protected. 1t means finding a cure
for the condition that compels the
farmer to trade in 1882 two wagon
loads for the things for which in 1914
he traded one wagon load. This is as
short a way as any to state the farm
problem.
Hits Republican Course.
There are two undeniable historic
facts of the past II years.
First, the present administration, and
the two previous administrations, in all
of which the President was an i'm
portant member, failed utterly to un-
derstand the farm problem as a ma
tional whole, or to plan for its relief;
and second, they destroyed the foreign
markets for our exportable farm sur
plus beginning with the Fordney-Mc-
Cumber tariff and ending with the
Grundy tariff, thus violating the SIM
plest principle of international trade,
and forcing the inevitable retaliation
of foreign countries.
I cannot forbear at this point express
ing my amazement that in the face
of this retaliation-inevitable from the
day the Grundy tariff became law and
predicted by every competent observer
at home and abroad-not one effec-
tive step to deal with it or to alleviate
Its consequences has been taken or pro-