Evening star., 1934-10-12
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,
STAFF Correspondent Of The Star.

STAFF Correspondent Of The Star.
CHICAGO, H., october l2.-"n
YOU were an Illinois farmer would
YOU vote for the New Deal-which
means voting Democratic-or would
you vote against it?"
To answer the question it is neces-
sary to have some knowledge OF what
the New Deal, and particularly the
A. A. A., has been doing for and to
the farmers of this State. And if you
know the answer of the majority OF
the Illinois farmers it is possible to
say with some degree of certainty
what is going to happen in the con-
gressional elections in the big down
State, agricultural areas, wnicn SO
often in the past have rolled up long
leads for the Republican ticket on
election day.
Debt Pressure Relieved.
In the first place, the Farm Credit
Administration, the F. c. A., has
materially taken the pressure of farm
mortgages of the shoulders OF the
farmers. Applications for loans TO
finarlce these mortgages, which were
slow in the handling in the f1rst
months of the operations OF the new
law and caused much criticism, are
dealt with fairly promptly now. The
debt situation, which was crushing
many of the farmers early in 1888,
is now said to be under control.
Alont with this control have come
substantial reduction OF interest
charles and other benefits.
Sessond, the administrations corn
loan plan has worked almost 100 per
cent successfully in this State. II
was started many months ago. The
Government loaned the farmers As
cents, q bushel on their corn and the
corn was sealed in the corn cribs. And
here tile Government has been lucky
as we'll as the farmers. The plan
kept q lot Of the corn on the farms.
Under other circumstances it would
have been thrown on the market at
, IS cerlts a bushel and might have
forced the price till lower. Corn
prices began to rise and went to rs
cents. The Government got its money
back and the farmer in most in
stances got the benefit Of the differ
ence III the price. Indeed, corn has
gone ali high as 80 cents in Chicago,
and evtln to SO cents out in Nebraska.
CtIrn-Hog Program Success.
ThirdL the corn-hog program of the
A. A. A, has proved real success IN
Illinois. If you doubt this, take a
| look at the results of the referendum
| among the farmers who produce corn
ana hotis. This referendum is still
going or, and is expected to be COM
pleted this week. But the returns
have sctlown that the farmers have
voted 3 to l, generally, in favor OF the
program and the results have been
even a little more favorable in parts
of Illinois. Kansas seems to have
been the only State in the corn belt
where the farmers voted a majority
against the corn-hog program.
The program to which about IS per
cent of THE farmers who raise corn
and hogs agreed called for reduc-
ton in the production-20 per cent re-
duction i'll the production of corn and
| 25 per cent reduction in the number
of hogs products. The farmers are
now getting the Government checks
for their compliance in this program
The money is coming in handy to pay
debts, meet interest and taxes, buy
clothes and fix up the old fiivver. The
great volume of these Government
payments will be made in October
and election day comes November 6.
Increase in Prices.
Fourth, and most important, the
prices of farm products have in
creased materially. For example, the
price of wheat in March, 1888, wa:
35.5 cents a bushel and on Septem-
Der Is. 1894, it had increased to 92.1
cents; the price of corn was 20.6 cents
a bushel a nd increased to TIA cents;
the price of hogs was 1922 cents g