Evening star., 1932-10-23
CHARGES HOOVER
PLEDGES BROKEN
Norris Tells Iowa Crowd His
Prophecies in 1923
Were Fulfilled.
BY the Associated Press.

Hy tHs hSSOCldteu fTeSS.
DES MOINES Iowa, October az
Senator George w. Norris of Nebrasks
tonight told an audience here tha
President Hoover has failed to redeem
every pledge he made to the farmers,
genuine farm legislation"
The Progressive Republican Senator
campaigning in support of Gov. Roose.
velt assailed the Presidents record or
agriculture in speech which he sale
was in reply to President Hoover's open.
ing campaign address in the same au.
ditorium October A.
Norris recalled that four years agc
he had pleaded with the farmers o.
Iowa and the Northwest mot to cleo
the man who had sat in the cabinet,
of Presidents Harding and Coolidge fol
eight years, using his influence ane
appearing before committees" to blocl
real farm relief measures.
Every Prophecy Fulfilled"
AT that time you did not listen tc
my advice. But I am here tonight tt
remind you that in the last four year.
every prophecy made in 1923 has beer
fulfilled and every pledge Candidat.
Hoover made to the farmers of thi.
country is unredeemed," he declared.
Measures which he and his colleague.
proposed and which were defeated
through the power and influence O.
Herbert Hoover and his associates,
would, Norris asserted, have brought re.
lief to agriculture and to a large meas.
ure would have prevented the genera
depression.
The question in the present cam
pa1gn." he said, lis: Will the American
people conf1ne their destinies to thu
hands OF one who has never yet made
a promise or prophecy which has beer
fulflled?"
Norris attributed principally to tn,
vigorous opposition and influence" O.
Mr.. Hoover as Secretary of Commerc,
the defeat of bill which would hav,
set up a governmental crop purchasins
corporation when the plight of the
farmer finally was recognized after thu
war.
He also placed responsibility for the
rejection of other bills proposed by the
Agricultural Committee on Mr.. Hoover
as the leading representative Of the
administration against such legisla.
ton
No Tariff Benefit.
1T was clearly shown that the farmer
was not getting the benefit of the
tariff Norris said we undertook to
meet this by legislation. The McNary-
Haugen bill had no other object than to
give the farmer the benefit of the same
tariff protection which is given to the
manufacturer.
Later on We proposed the debenture
plan. That had the same object, but
it was much simpler in operation. II
seemed to me no one could question the
fairness Of this proposition.
'All Of this was opposed by Mr. Hoo
yer. who. by that time, had become
President of the United States, and il
was through his influence alone that II
was defeated in the House of Repre-
sentatives after it had twice passed the
Senate"
In the 1928 campaign. Norris declared
Hoover expressly promised that if he
were elected he would propose a meas
ure which would bring about farm relief
and would give the farmer the benefit
people took him at his word, he said.
Times Getting Worse
We got an increase on the tariff
which was already too high" he con-
tinued And what is tn result? Every
farmer knows Every citizen knows
The Farm Board was his baby The act
was passed at his request. and it was
given $500 900, 900 of public money tc
make good. And again we know the
result Times have been getting worse
and still worse.
President Hoover promised prosperity
to the farmer The answer is the lowest
prices the farmer has ever received, In
that spectacular campaign Hoover prom
ised to abolish poverty. After about
four years of his rule poverty and star
yation run rampant all over the United
States"
Norris reiterated suggestions made in
his address Friday night in Minneapo-
lis for an imitation Of currency as a
temporary means of aiding agriculture
and for lower rates OF interest. AS a
permanent step toward improving con-
ditions he proposed enactment of pro-
gressive inheritance tax to prevent the
accumulation of vast fortunes.