Evening star., 1933-11-06

Although the i've Western Governors
have gone home empty-handed from
Washington, they encountered no lack
of genuine sympathy with the farmers
plight either at the Department of Ag-
riculture or the White Hodse. In Sec
faced by q man who, like his father
and grandfather before him, has de-
voted a lifetime to agriculture. Mr..
era corn grower on large scale
but one who has made valuable con-
tributions through experiment and IN
vention to the corn industry, backbone
of the Midwest farm belt. In George
N. Peek, head of the Agricultural Ad-
justment Administration, the Cover
nors found another Westerner who be-
came battle-scarred during the farm
ers' long struggle for square deal at
Washington. Throughout the Inflated
McNary- -Haugen crusade before Con-
gress Mr.. Peek was its spearhead. As
for President Roosevelt. farm relief has
program from its inception. r. d. r.
happens to be q dirt farmer himself,
both in New York and Georgia. The
President has consistently emphasized
better prices for agricultural produce a.
the most important condition precedent
to recovery both In town and In country.
n 4 "
Administration hostility TO the gen.
eral idea of price fixing Is the rock on
which the Western Governors hopes
went to smash. Ever since enactment
Of N. r. A. there have been tncessant
projects to commit the Government to
some form Of price regulation. but
these efforts were consistently resisted.
Because they concern natural resources,
the lumber and oil codes contain pro-
visions looking to price control, while
the retail code debars the pricing Of
has stood out firmly against anything
savoring of price fixing covering widely
diversified commodities. Once entered
upon, the field would open up 50 illinit-
able vista Of complicated possibilities
that when the recovery program was
incubated 1t was decided as q ftInda-
mental principle to fight shy of any
device Of that sort. In the case Of
farm crops, price-flxing conjures up
particularly bathing and almost insol-
uble conditions A typical instance
was cited in the White House state
ment announcing rejection Of the Gov
ernors' scheme-the wide divergence
between conditions confronting West
ern agriculture, compared to Eastern
farming regions with large urban mar
kets close at hand.
y y X r
President Roosevelt's reaffirmation OF
faith In N. r. A. means that when the
New Deal is under fire In Congress after
January /, as, of course, it is sure to be,
odypaiyfSfro tiof, 1aodorchir opd cfrarutn
In both Houses will be vigorously ar
rayed behind White House views on the
subject. The recovery act expires by
limitation In June, 1895, or earlier at
the discretion of the President or Con-
gress. Congressional demands for re-
peal Of the law may bob up before the
Winter Is over. Whether the big Demo-
cratic majority on Capitol Hill will line
up solidfy behind the President is q
question. No ones attitude VIII be
watched with livelier interest than that
of Senator Carter Glass, who does not
share r. D. RS enthusiasm for N. R. A.
or it Is believed. for the new monetary
policy, to say nothing OF the Vrg1nianf
dislike Of the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation. Also open to grave ques-
| ton Is whether Democratic members
of House and Senate from farming re-
gions win be disposed to stay on the
reservation II agriculture is In the en-
bittered mood Of today. Imitation is one
more issue on which the administration
may find divided Democratic loyalties
Yet another uncertainty concerns thu
future attitude of Republican progress
sives like Senator Norris toward Roose-
welt policies.
4 -
To let bygones be hygones Is to be the
rule during Mr.. Litvinoy's visit In Wash
ington. The Russian foreign minister
win be received with all the honors be-
fitting his rank and the high mission