Evening star., 1933-06-29
Reduction of Cotton Crop
Tests Whole Farm ProoraF

Cotton takes a new role in national
recovery as the plan for restraint of
| acreage is launched under the guidance
OF the farm relief officials in cooper
alton with the general recovery organi-
zatlon. The tendency shown is to
| emphasize the fact that compensation
is offered for the reduction of the crop
through funds provided by the action of
Congress. and it is believed advisable
to give the plan fair trial as a means
OF leading the whole country back to
better conditions
Without control of acreage there
can be no hope for practical farm
rellef, in the opinion of the Fort
Worth StarTelegram Holding that
the only other way would be cold
bloodedly to 'starve' the farmers into
crop acreages which would insure be-
loW-market- demand productivity" the
star Telegram assumes that "the Gov
eminent is not prepared to employ such
drastic methods" That paper. while
emphasizing the point that supply
and demand finally must become the
controlling force concludes that "the
plan under way appears to be the like
Hest one so far proposed
! Pointing to the Unprecedented ma
ture OF the policy adopted, the Nash
Vile Banner records that 1T is de-
clared to be fundamental to Secretary
Wallace's plans and to represent the
matured judgment of the President and
OF many farm leaders who were called
INTO consultation" The Banner con-
tlnues: 1T is the Secretarys hope
that at least two million bales of the
South's ordinary twelve million will
De plowed up, under agreements made
oy the farmers with the Government
tnrough the county agents and State
administrators. This will be the mini
mum under which Secretary Wallace
VIII act; If possible, he will increase the
plowed-up crop to one-fovth of the
acreage, or three million bales. The
Government proposes that the farmers
snail enter into three-year agreement
as to the amount of acreage reduction.
out, OF course, the stipulation as 20
ploWlng up a crop applies to only the
! present season"
Declaring that cotton has suffered
even more than wheat from surplus
production, the st. Joseph Gazette ad-
VlSeS that wheat and cotton afford an
admirable test of crop allotment" and
offers the Judgment as to the probable
results If paying the farmers of
these crops to reduce their planted
acreage fails to WI:l the desired results.
it is not probable the plan will be ex-
tended to dairy products. pork and the
more debatable areas of farm relief
Unfortunately, the heavy surpluses on
hand make the task unusually difficult
But once production can be reduced to
somewhere near the level of consump-
ton. farm relief will be greatly SIM
plified. And If the much-publicized
agreement with other agricultural ma
tlons to cut down on production. as
announced at London, achieves even
a moderate amount of results, the out
look for the farmer will be immeasur-
ably brighter.
1t is among the many amazements
OF modern psychology that the South
is ready to fall in with the procedure. VI
suggests the Charlotte Observer argu-
ing that 1T is no time to ask questions
that are even pertinent. much less to
bristle up at the suggestion of such an
unheard-of procedure" UNFOLDING the
belief that prosperity cannot return
until the American farmer is lifted out
Of the ruck and muck of this depres-
sion," the Charlotte paper offers the
opinion: 1T IS an extremely liberal
offer which the American Government
Is making them, one by which, if they
are cooperative, they cannot possibly
lose. and one from which they can i'm
measurably benefit by falling in line
a1d going through with the drastic
remedy. The Observer is assured that
throughout the South this movement
will receive that practical cooperation
from the farmers which its beneficent
ends warrant. 1t is the only possible
measure by which they can be saved
from worse ruin than they have yet
suffered and in view of the provable
contention that they can only profit
in the long run, without the reniotest
chance Of being injured by the process,