Evening star., 1934-06-03
BY WILLIAM HARD.
central political issue of the
week in Washington is most
certainly to be found in Secre-

certainly to be found in Secre-
Il tary of Agriculture Wallaces
proposed amendments to the
agricultural adjustment act. 1t is an
issue that goes to the very funda-
mentalS of Government.
1t has thereupon made vast stir
on Capitol Hill The Democratic
chairman of the Committee on Agri-
culture of the House of Representa-
tives-Mr. Jones of TeXas-Seems to
be hostile to Mr. Wallaces proposals.
The Democratic chairman of the Com
mittee on Agriculture of the Senate
Mr. Smith of South Carolina-seems
also to be hostile to them. The
Democratic junior Senator from Vir-
ginia-Mr Byrd-is conducting a
vigorous and even violent campaign
against them. Some 20 other Demo-
cratic Senators are reported to be
expressing determined personal oppo
sition to them And why?
Why, because, as they claim. these
proposed amendments to the agri-
cultural adjustment act would make
Mr. Wallace into a sort of "planner
supreme" who could arbitrarily con-
troll not only many features of the
businesses of farmers but also any
and all features of the businesses of
the professors" and distributors of
farm products.
That such would be the result of
the amendments is not seriously de-
MED by the officials of the Agri-
cultural Adjustment Administration.
Their utmost claim Is that the result
In question already exists under the
present wording of the agricultural
adjustment act and that the proposed
amendments merely clarity" it and
make it unanswerably plain to any
judges who may be called upon to
interpret the act In other words,
their contention simply is that Mr..
Wallace is in truth a 'planner su-
preme" in these matters already.
On that point cne cannot too much
marvel at Mr. Wallace. He is al
ways demanding plans and CON
trols" and then he is always fervently
expressing a hope for deliverance
from these artificialities" He en-
braces dictatorial powers and makes
multitudinous speeches signing for
freedom" He breathes adherence
of the kingly crown of the economic
Caesar and keeps fixing it ever more
firmly on his head.
I once heard that the Irish poet,
George Russell. better known as "a
E." has declared Mr.. Wallace to be
the most charming and the most
poetic soul in America. I am willing
to second the nomination on the point
of IT4n
begin to be willing to second it on
the point of his poeticalness A poet
can write lovely tribute to the sun,
and then he can write an equally
lovely tribute to the rain. I think Mr.
Wallace can see the beauties Of
planning" and then he can also see
the beauties of liberty. 1 only wish
that some day he would aggregate all
these beauties into one compendious
poem and let us know exactly what
sort of economic weather we may ulti-
nlately expect from him.
Takes Torch From Johnson.
In the meantime I am obliged to
note that Mr.. Wallace is taking the
torch of compulsory planning" from
the faltering hands of Gen. Johnson
of the N. R. A. and is striving to
carry it forward and upward to new
distances and new heights Gen.
johnson is allowing the licensing"
provisions of the national industrial
recovery act to lapse. Mr. Wallace,
IN his new proposed amendments to
the agricultural adjustment act. is
taking the licensing" provisions of
that act and Clarifying" and
strengthening them.
Now what is "license?" It is the
very epitome of autocratic economic
power. You issue a license" to a
business man to conduct his business,
and you fill the license" with specifi-
cations as to how he must conduct it:
and then, if he violates the specifica-
tions you can withdraw the license"
ana thereupon he cannot conduct
business at all. He is stopped. He is
out.
This fact about the license" sys-
TEN is openly candidly acknowledged
In Mr.. Wallace's proposed amend
ments to the agricultural adjustment
act. One of those amendments ex-
pllcltly provides that the Secretary
OF Agriculture shall have power ito
prohibit professors and distributors
and others from engaging in the
handling of any agricultural COM
modify or product thereof in the
current of interstate commerce"
SO there you are! If you are a
hour miller or a meat packer or a
milk purveyor or chain store system.
or any other professor or distributor
OF agricultural commodities, or of
products thereof. Mr. Wallace can
keep you out of interstate commerce.
Or II he pleases, he can put you in.
And how does he put you in? Why.
by a license"
And that's where we come to the
technical heart of the whole present
controversy.
Empowers License Use,
The agricultural adjustment act. as
now written, empowers the Secretary
OF Agriculture to issue licenses con-
tanning such terms and conditions
as may be necessary to eliminate "un-
1alr practices or charges" This word
ing. on its surface, would seem to
confine the Secretary of Agriculture to
the elimination of unfair practices or
charges" in the course of his licensing
adventures
But now note Mr. Wallace's pro-
posed re-wording of that wording
Here it is
The Secretary of Agriculture here
after shall have power ito issue
licenses upon such terms and condi-
tlons as the Secretary of Agriculture
may deem necessary to effectuate the
declared policy of this act"
In this re-wording the wide open
ooor, as it seems to me, is in the large
loose phrase upon such terms and
conditions as the Secretary of Agri-
culture NAV deem nacassar,,n Lie