Evening star., 1933-06-08
PEEK WILL STRIVE
TO E|D FARMERS
Administrator Will Use Power
of Legislation to Boost
Prices.
BY GRACE HENDRICK EUsTIs.

I'VE will use every power that is In
the farm bill to raise farm prices says
the powerful and ruddy farm admins
traitor. George Peek.
In the congressional act, which reads
ITO relieve the national economic
emergency by increasing agricultural
purchasing power, to raise revenue 1or
extraordinary expenses incurred py rea-
son of such emergency, to provide emer-
gency relief with respect to agricultural
Indebtedness, to provide for the orderly
liquidation of Joint stock land banks
and for other purposes" there are two
titles. The first is the agricultural
adjustment" and this is being admins
tered bv Mr.. Peek, with Charles Brand
acting as co-administrator and Glen
McHugh special assistant to the ad-
ministrator.
Into Mr.. Peek's corner in the De-
partment of Agriculture flow an un-
ending stream of wheat men, cotton
men. milk men, representatives from
both growers and co-operatives ano
the professors of agricultural commod-
tiles He is getting the point OF view
and the advice of all the different
elements interested In and affected by
this farm legislation, and with that as
a basis and the farm bill as the limit
within which he can work, he Is strlv-
ing to put agriculture on satisfac-
tory plane.
Farming Should Be Secure.
Last February Mr. Peek appeared
before the Senate Finance Committee
and he concluded his hearing with
these words:
Farming is a mode of living as well
as a business. 1t should be the most
secure of all lines of endeavor SO far
as it lies within the power OF govern
ment to make it. Actually, as now
conducted, it is one of the most haz-
ardous occupations of man. 1t is SUBJ
ject not only to the whims Of man.
but to the Vaccinations of market
spectators throughout the so-called
civilized world.
THE rural community should be a
haven of refuge by those weary OF
the confusion of busy cities. 1t should
be- clace to which people may return
with relative security. What industry
except agriculture could absorb in three
years 100000 of the surplus popula-
tion of cities in such time OF depres-
sion?
"A vigorous agriculture is the great
est customer for our large industries.
It is our greatest national resource.
Cotton alone has accounted for $20,-
O00, ,000,000 of the $120, 100000 total
value Of exports of the past SO years.
land-owning farmer Is protection
against radicalism of every kind"
Qualified for Post.
The farmer could not have a man
better suited to his needs than George
Peek Intellectual theories are not his
dish. The farmer must have pur-
chasing power equal to that Of before
the war" he says.
He was born in Polo, Ill, in 1878, and
went to Northwestern University and
in 1908 he married Miss Georgia Lind
sey of Omaha. For the next eight
years he worked with the Deere &
Webber Co. in Minneapolis, then he
of the John Deere Plow Co. in Omaha
and vice president of Deere g. Co.
in Moline, ILL.,, from 1911 to 1919. He
was president and general manager of
the Moline Plow Co. from 1919 to 1928.
All these companies dealt in farm i'm
plements.
Slowly the idea came to him, and
when he and Gen. Hugh S. Johnson
designated director of the administra-
tion's industrial control organization,
were working together for the Moline
FlOW 70. tIley eVOiyeQ the SCQene LIlat
just as industry was organized, so ag-
riculture could be regimented This
came from seeing the vast gap that
existed between the price the farmer
was paid for his commodity and the
eventual price the consumer paid for
the same thing.
Formed Research Plan.
Mr.. Peek began by being the first
president of the National Cornstalk
Processes, Inc which was practical
research department connected with
the State College of Agriculture and
Mechanical Arts at Ames, Iowa. This
college was being constantly solicited
by promoters of all sorts to help their
developments. Mr.. Peek organized this
National Cornstalk Processes to insti-
gate a commercial research into these
companies. 'N
Among the men in this group were
W. " Kelly, head Of the Miehle Print
ing Press Co.; j. E. Otis, chairman of