The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-09-07
MRS. PINCHOT SUGGESTS
AID FOR DAIRY FARMERS
Wants Washington to Pay a b.
nus for Destruction of Surplus
To the Editor of The Republican.

vice to the dairy farmers of America
1 shall be most grateful to you foI
whatever publicity you feel inclined
to give it. l would be glad, also, to
hear what you think Of this idea.
Today the dairy producer is in bad
way. His enterprise roughly repre-
sents a quarter of the cash income
received by agriculture in America
He must have support from Washing
ton.
l suggest that the Federal Gov
eminent give Immediately to the dairy
farmer the same help in eliminating
his surplus that it is now giving to
the wheat, cotton, tobacco, and hog
| farmer. In other words, let Wash
ington pay a cash bonus for the
destruction of the milk surplus
Such bonus fixed accord
ing to sections and market condi-
tions) should go to pay the individ-
ual farmer, not to destroy milk, but to
do away with his production dairy
cows-one-thi of which are kept at
an actual loss throughout the country
| today. The destruction of diseased
cows might well be added to this pro-
| gram. Cows so destroyed should not
be sent to market to compete with,
and bring down, the price of beef to
the farmer who raises it.
Regulations, Of course, must be
made to control the raising Of heifer
calves by the farmer who receives the
bonus-and to improve the breed of
whatever calves he is allowed to raise.
There are many difficulties in carry
ing out such plan. am not a dairy
expert. l don't presume to suggest
the details of it's administration.
These must be worked out by farm
leaders in cooperation with econo-
mists and executives in the Depart
ment of Agriculture, in which two
groups there are brains, determine
ton and knowledge enough, l am GER
tain, to find proper solution.
My plan unlike the ones reducing
| cotton, tobacco and wheat SURPRISES
protects the consumer, whose inter-
ests are only too often neglected, as
| we'll as the farmer. 1t has two long
distance and permanent advantages:
(a) The replacement of low-pro-
duction cows, by cows that pay over
and above their keep, will materially
reduce the cost of making milk-and
thereby reduce the price at which it
can be sold. (The whole of the saw
ings made in this way must be safe
guarded for the sole benefit of the
producer and consumer-the distribu-
tor should not share in one penny of
this differentiaD.
OBJ 1t permits looking ahead and
rationing dairy production roughly to
equal demand-so that the farmer
can have some assurance of finding a
market for what he produces.
The immediate advantages of this
plan are that:
(a) 1t provides for the reduction
of the milk surplus which now under
lies and complexities the dairy prob
lem, and which is advanced by distrib-
utors as one reason for paying starva-
ton prices to the producer.
(b) 1t puts ready money into the
hands of the farmer at the time he
needs it the most-helping him to pay
taxes, interest charges, necessary re-
| pairs, ETC.; meet the added cost OF
living; in many cases perhaps to pre-
vent the loss of his farm. Moreover
at this time, anything that increases
the buying power of the dairy farmer
according to NRA philosophy, helps
business in general. Such plan will
speed up national recovery.
In Washington the Federal Gov
eminent, l am glad to say, has already
begun to tackle the other big prob.
lem of the dairy farmer, that of distri-
button. This is being done by meth
cd of so-called Marketing Agreements
Or understandings on prices between
producers and distributors. These I'M
derstandngs, after approval from the
Secretary of Agriculture, become eff
I fective for the district. This plar
puts what is, in effect, a price-making
power in the hands of the Secretary
This power can and should be made 6
powerful weapon in fighting for JUS
tice to the farmer.
Violent dissatisfaction has been eX
pressed by the dairy producers witt
the terms of the agreement for the
Philadelphia Milk Shed. They claim
that DR.. Clyde L. King, the milk czal
of the Federal Department, has sacri
feed their interests and those of thu
consumer (Which are in many re
spects identicaD to the distributors
They further object to the basic-sur
plus plan of computation, on thu
ground that it is used to confuse ant
mislead them.
sincerely hope that before long thu
| fou,,oo,c ,,,ill bovo hoan c11cpaS sfIll il