The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-07-14
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National Topics Interpreted "a fFYTYRT7fSe
by William Bruckart kESpzn57FFF

-, Roosevelt admins
See VeW tration probably con-
Economic Era stitute the beginning
of a new economic
era. Indeed, one analyst declared
that possibly the arrangement of all
of the new codes of practice for in
dustry might conceivably represent the
start of period in which the federal
government will become an industrial
referee or umpire. Carrying that
thought further, it was conceived as
eral laws would be enacted with ref
erence to control of industry aud agri-
culture. With a federal umpire to
sit In judgment, for example, farmers
could organize and control their own
destiny, solve their own problems and
be Independent.
That same reasoning, it is asserted,
applies to every other line Of COM
mercial endeavor. It represents a
theory that private business, observed
from a watchtower by something Of
federal dictator, can and will man.
age its own affairs to better advan-
tage than can be done by continual
enactment of new and half-baked laws.
To that extent, therefore, instead of
making partners of the government
and private business, the Roosevelt
. program takes shape as possible
move to put business on plane to
do the job itself.
1t seems pertinent to call attention
just here to the fact that, except in
wartime, neither agriculture nor any
other industry has ever received the
shock of it's life with such eQuani-
nifty as it has swallowed the orders Of
the federal government. I have heard
it said that 1t would take just such
q shock to awaken the individual men,
bers of the various lines of trade to
the necessity for complete co-ordina-
ton of all of their activities and func-
lions.
President Roosevelt, on his return to
the White House after a vacation, re-
peated that he was
MUST 6ocSr in deadly earnest
Prices about the necessity
for boosting of
prices and that nothing is going to
stand in the way insofar as the gov
eminent can control those factors.
His statement was but repetition
and broadening of his earlier appeal
to the cotton farmers. To them, he
sounded keynote for the whole cam
paign of crop reduction. No doubt
exists that unless the farmers help
themselves, the crop reduction pro-
gram and the consequent boost in
prices cannot be expected to succeed.
In other words, the situation is this:
the federal government has set up
machinery for reduction of crop acre
ages. It has worked out program that
means higher prices for that which
the farmers sell, and it has made a
part Of that program an imitation of
credit and use Of federal funds. 1t
has resorted to its taxing power in or
der to obtain funds to compensate
those who agree to cut acreage and
reduce the surplus. 1t is up to the
farmers, therefore, to do their part.
The reason the President spoke Of
cotton first was because that crop is
still in a position and at stage Of
growth where part Of it can be de-
stroyed. 1t was explained in this con-
nection that the growth to fruition Of
the entire acreage of cotton now plant
I'D sy,ar hn RI c11nh
an extent that carry-over of as much
as 100000 bales was possible. That
figure probably is too high, but the
point is that growth Of this years en-
tire crop would only add to the amount
of cotton already stored from previous
years and the result obviously would
be a price reduction. Some market
experts say it might go down to 31A
to cents pound.
Tobacco is the next crop in line.
1t still can be cut down. The Depart
ment of Agriculture is working on
plans to levy a processing tax to pay
the growers for curtailing that crop.
The tax is scheduled to be 5 cents q
pound and will be collected, as the
other processing taxes are, from the
factories that prepare the commodity
for market. A wheat processing tax
of 80 cents a bushel has gone into eff
feet already to finance curtailment of
the surplus wheat acreage. And the
same can be written respecting pro-
cedure for the other commodities.
Nevertheless, one can ask what good
the processing tax will be and what
will be accomplished by this vast ma
chine that has been set up TO help the
farmers unless they themselves CO.
operate. The answer, If stated in can
dor. would be. nothing.
A few more weeks probably will be
sufficient time within which to judge
whether the farmers are going to do
their part.
During the debate in congress when
the farm parity bill was under consid-
GRAFTON, there were frequent references
to the possibility that the program
could not succeed because too many |
farmers would hold back.