Evening star., 1933-12-31
FARM|NGLAUNCHED
UPON NEW PATHS
Cotton Prices Up Sharply and
Southern Areas Reap
Benefits.
Continued From First Page.)

position because Of uncontrolled pro-
duction; loss OF foreign markets a pro-
tected market for things he buys: in
creased overhead costs, such as taxes
and Indebtedness and loss of con-
Sumer's purchasing power. To deal
with the many factors that contribute
10 the farmers present situation and
to deal with these factors as they vary
in application to the commodities con-
cerned and to meet changes in the
economic situation, Congress must en-
act legislation granting broad and fiex-
ible powers to the administration. It
must trust for a solution of the present
emergency to the exercise of sound
discretion by the Chief Executive and
those who carry out his program"
Congress was asked to pass the
necessary legislation by granting au-
thority:
TO provide for reduction in the
amount of any commodity produced
for market and to carry out a program
of either acreage or production control
compensation through rental or bene-
Mt payments, also authority to enter
into agreements with professors, asso-
Citations of producers and others en-
gagged in the handling of agricultural
commodities, and, finally, authority to
deal with the cotton situation for the
current year through the cotton option
contracts provided in the Smith cotton
bill considered at the last session"
Though this program was presented
to the Agricultural Committee of the
Senate by the Secretary of Agriculture
on March Is, the cotton crop was
planted and some Of 1t even matured
before Congress finally passed the agri-
cultural adjustment act. which gave the
Executive virtually all the powers
sought and, in addition, discretion to
initiate the currency and reduce the
gold content of the dollar so per cent.
So confident had the grower become
that the new administration would do
something for the farmer that the cot
ton acreage was increased IL per cent
to total Of 40 929.0 900 acres. compared
with So 542 900 the previous year. AS a
direct result Of several important steps
pension OF gold payments, elimination
OF the gold clause in public and private
contracts, control of gold reserves and
an embargo on gold exports-all point
ing to depreciation in the value Of the
monetary unit and increases in COM
modify prices, 1t was hardly surprising
that the planter should have decided to
put in more cotton.
Crops Plowed Under.
In addition to the increase In acre
age. weather conditions could hardly
have been improved. SO that when Con-
gress finally passed the bill, the growing
crop promised a yield of 100000 or
100000 bales. With a carryover of
l,750,000 on July 81, the outlook from
supply standpoint seemed as gloomy
as at any time during the entire de-
preston, though considerable improve
mand side of the equation.
Under the broad powers granted,
plans we're Immediately formulated for
vigorous plowing-up campaign to
remove from cultivation 25 per cent of
the area already planted. To compen-
safe the grower, the Government paid
on a sliding scale, depending upon the
productivity of the soil. for the destruc-
ton of the growing plant and taking
those fields from the production of So
called exportable crops Though the
land was leased and paid for by the
Government, owners we're permitted to
grow food and food supplies for home
consumption.