The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1933-01-26
FARM CHIEFS TELL
SOLONS OF REVOLT
O'Neil and Simpson Tell Com
mittee Relief Is Badly
Needed Now
ALLOTMENT IS URGED
Farm Union Chief Opposes
Provision to Regulate
Acreage of Crops

IIONlS1Oll W lGOS ulCtCC
Acreage of Crops
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-Warning
of revolution in the farm belt UNI
less congress enacts aid for agrl-
culture was served on senate
committee today by heads OF two
big farm organizations as hearings
opened on the domestic allotment
price-boosting measure.
Unless something is done for the
American farmer we will have rev.
tuition in the countryside in less
than ~ months, said Edward A.
O'Neal. president of the American
Farm Bureau Federation.
"The biggest and finest crop OF
revolutions you ever saw are
sprouting al over this country
right now" said John A. Simpson,
president of the farmers union.
In a trip through the west, from
which he has just returned, Simp-
son said. he had seen revolutions
against the courts.
O'Neal endorsed the allotment
bill passed by the house, although
conceding it might be "simplified"
and saying he could see no reason
for the inclusion of peanuts along
with wheat. cotton, tobacco, hogs,
rice and dairy products.
At the same time O'Neal said he
thought the bill might be applied to
all major agricultural products"
He minimized objects that have
been raised to the acreage control
provisions, saying the farmer can
be trusted to tell the truth in his
affidavit and hence no huge force
would be necessary to check up on
the reductions.
Simpson urged two amendments.
One would make cost Of production
the basis for fixing thn price the
farmer would receive for his share
of domestic consumption, rather
than the pre-war level.
His other proposed change was
to abandon attempts to regulate
the farmer" and instead to license
the buyer, requiring him to pay at
least cost of production.
This first hearing on the much
discussed bill lasted little more
to hear q representative of the Ma
tional Grange but Louis J. Tabor,
it's head, was unable to be present.
He is expected to be heard tomor-
row, after which producers, process
sors and manufacturers are ex-
pected to testify.
O'Neal was the first witness of
the day as hearings began on the
price boosting bill passed by the
house.
AS he spoke of revolution" Sena-
tor Elmer Thomas (dem., Okla.,) a
leading exponent of currency infla,
ton broke in to ask him how it
might be averted.
O'Neal replied that the "funda-
mental need is imitation by refund
ing the gold content of the dollar,
but that the allotment bill would
go far to bring back faith am
confidence in the country side.
Chairman G. L. McNary (rep.,
Ore) quickly brought the testimony
around to the products in the bill
wheat, cotton, tobacco, hogs, rice,
peanuts and dairy products.
In answer to his questions O'Neal
said he believed it would be a mis-
take" to confine the bill to wheat
and cotton as has been proposed
He favored applying the allot-
ment provisions to all products
which have an exportable surplus.
O'Neal conceded the bill might be
simplified to some degree, but de.
clared himself satisfied with the
acreage control feature.
He added that he thought the
production cut requirement might
be made more drastic" than the 20
per cent reduction required in the
bill. Under the domestic allotment
plan processing tax would be lev
led on the manufacturers of the
products to which it applied, and
a bonus would be paid to the grow
ers who made the necessary acre
age reductions.
Senator Burton Wheeler (dem.,
Month"; said he regarded as the
most impracticable" feature of the
bill the 20 per cent acreage cut
provision. He referred to the diff
ficulty of checking up on wheather
farmers actually had conformed to
that requirement.
ONeal replied that he saw no
objection on that ground.
std accept the word of the far
mer," he told the committee.
Senator Arthur Capper (rep.,
Kan.) called attention to a proposal
by w. r. Ronald, editor of the
Evening Republican, Mitchell, S. D.,
that the responsibility for the acre
age cut be vested in the state, coun-
ty and township.
You take the affidavit of a mar
on his income tax, Senator Capper,"
O'Neal replied. 'Why then could
you not accept the affidavit of the
farmer on this?"
O'Neal pointed out that the plan
was voluntary and a farmer might
make the production cut and re-
ceive the benefits or refuse both.
Simpson referred to the measure
as price fixing bill"
His organization. he said. want