Milford chronicle., 1933-05-19

The Emergency Agricultural Ad-
justment Act has been passed by
Congress and signed by the Presi-
dent. II embOdies new policy for
American agriculture.
The policy invoices: First. looking
an actual condition in the face and
moving to meet it; second. a new
type of cooperative effort among
farmers. professors. and distribu-
tors with the Government as a par
ty; third, recognizing the fact that
the condition of agriculture is a vi
tai point in the condition of the Ma
tion as a whole. The third point is
the reason for titling the Act IAN
Act to Relieve the Existing National
Economic Emergency by Increasing
Agricultural Purchasing Power
The program of the Act is design
ed to meet an acute problem. 70.
meet that problem it delegates the
strong centralizing power of the
Government. through the President
to the Secretary of Agriculture. to
assist producers and manufacturers
and distributors of farm products
work out their own salvation by
making such adjustments in produc-
tion and price as are fair to all
groups and harm no legitimate in
terest of any group.
The brOadness of the power grant
ed to the Secretary of Agriculture is
designed to make the operation of
the Act flexible and mobile. The
Farm Act must be adjustable, swift
changed conditions as they arise. It's
operating regulations are not writ
ten into the statutes. They may be
changed as needed. Mobility and
fiexibility in operation give the Act
power.
The problem that the adjustment
program has been drawn to solve
can be reduced to simple terms:
Farmers are producing and have
been producing more farm goods
than the existing market, in the
United States and in the world, can
buy and pay for at price that en-
ables the farmers to stay in BUSH
ness. While the European need for
American farm goods and the Euro
pean Willingness and ability to pay
for them have been decreasing
sharply, production has practically
been maintained American con-
of American-grOwn food
stuffs has dropped very little during
the depression, although. domestic
of some other agricul-
tural commodities, notably cotton
has decreased sharply. The greatest
loss has been in the export markets.
Now the surpluses have accumulat-
ed-at home and abroad-and fore
ed down the price to the farmer.
AT the same time the farmers fix
ed charges-taxes. interest, and
tebts-have remained about the
same.
The farmer is placed at a tremen-
dous disadvantage i'm the exchange
of agricultural for non-agricultural, !
goods His income has decreased
and he is no longer able to buy the
goods and services the cities have
to sell. Therefore city inen lOse
their Jobs.
Exports of American farm goods /
in February, 1888. we're only II per (
cent of the average exports for the ,
same month in the five years before
he World War-t909-1914. Exports p
,t wheat and flour in February were {,
lnly 25 per cent of the pre-war Feb G
'uary volume. In 1929 American far v
ners exported 12.2 per cent of their d
otal production. in 1880 only 1912 v
per cent, and in 1881 and in 1882 "
ess than per cent. ii
Total net production of American II
agricultural commodities in 1882 cI
vas 4 per cent above the average
or the period 1927. and would fi
lave been greater had growing con- p
iltions been normal in 1882. This al