Evening star., 1933-01-17

at the report They said that at one
/ time the committee had virtually agreed
/ to limit the bill to wheat and cotton
4 when the Democratic majority over
| rode this plan ard insisted on retaining
| tobacco and hogs.
Representative Purnell Republican
Of Indiana. one Of the foes of the bill
/ and a committee member, said he
might be inclined to support it if it
| covers only wheat and cotton.
| T believe the bill is wrong in prin
! ciple, Purnell said but as pure eX-
pertinent, I might support it for those
\ two commodities
| With Smiths return and the begin
| ming Of serious committee considera-
! ton, the impression prevailed that
4 every effort would be made to whip the
| emergency measure into such shape
| that most Democrats and some Re-
! publicans could support it. thus insur-
/ ing passage. The House already has
approved the bill.
The statement Of Smith that he
thought the bill would pass at this
session was regarded as significant.
But even the staunchest friends of the
bill feel that the domestic allotment
plan in any form is certain tc receive
veto at the hands of President Hoover.
The prospect that the Agriculture
Committee might hold extended hear
ings on the bill added to the likelihood
/ that several days would elapse before
] it could get to the Senate floor.
/ As passed by the House the bill pro-
vided for the use of all unexpended
/ balances, estimated at about Sl03,-
\ 000,000 but this was reduced by the
| House to S75.000.000.
Smell Opposes Bill
Representative Smell of New York, the
Republican leader. opposed the bill
holding that it conflicts with one of the
goals sought in the domestic allotment
bill-ac1eage reduction-by providing
funds for planting new crops. Friends
of the bill replied that it does not neces-
sarily follow that the loans would stimu-
late production
State Legislatures were urged today
to enact legislation to prevent farm
mortgage foreclosures by Chairman
! Summers of the House judiciary Com
mittee. pending the time when the
Federal Government may take action.
Chairman Jones of the House Agri-
culture Committee said the States
couldn't interfere with contracts. but
they could change the procedure and
enforcement of them"
Probably action is being considered
| in many States" Summers said, but
in the meantime these foreclosures are
! going on, or at least we are informed
| they are going on. 1t seems to me that
! the States should not wait on Congress
Il want something done as quickly
as possible, but any alienation of the
situation meantime would certainly
help.
Loses Home and Land, Too.
"The foreclosure of any home is seri-
Gus, but more serious in the case of the
| farmer, for he loses not only his dwell
ing, but in most cases the land upon
which he depends for a livelihood and
becomes uprooted"
Representative Fulmer, Democrat
South Carolina in a brief statement on
the floor IN behalf of the crop loan bsll
said
This is not loan to increase pro-
duction, but it is q loan to assist the
farmers in producing bread and meat
so that they may be able to carry on
we all agree that this is perhaps an
unsound policy and that there will be
some waste, but in the South, with cash
payments and cotton as collateral,
placed with the Department of Agri-
culture, farmers have already paid go
per cent, while railroad corporations
who borrowed with interest rates much
lower than farm loans, have not even
paid the interest >on their loans.
Until real system has been estab-
lished and agriculture has been re-
habilitated, as we hope to do under the
allotment plan, this Congress will have
to continue this type of loan to the
farmers or issue to them a dole with
which to feed themselves and Their
families"
While farm leaders were whipping
their mortgage relief proposal into form
the Bureau of Agricultural Economics
issued a report that 9l2 per cent Of the
farms in the United States changed
hands due to debt pressure IN the flve
years ended March /, last.
Forced Sales Increase.
The transfers Of ownership we're the
result of foreclosure of mortgages, bank
ruptcy, default of contract, sales *
avoid foreclosure, surrender of title, ol
other transfer to avoid foreclosure. II
addition, sales on account of tax de-
linquency affected 81 per cent of ,tht
farms, and there was a turnover Of al
aodltlonal II per cent through Volun'
tary sales and trades. The number oi
forced sales increased decidedly in tht
latter portion Of the period under sur.
yey. especially in 1891 and early 1882
During the year ended March Is, 1882
the highest average rates Of forced
sales were shown in the West Nortf
Central States. 438 farms per 1000
The lowest rates were shown for New
England and Middle Atlantic States.
Serious declines in farm income ac
count for the higher delinquency rates
the bureau said. Farm real estate val
ues in West North Central and Eas
North Central States declined between
25 and 80 per cent during the perioC
of l928-l932, with the equity Of tn,
faEmer-purchaser disappearing entirel,
as a result. Voluntary sales were at
much reduced volume in recent years
the bureau said.
SILENT On EXTRA SESSION