The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-09
Farmers Relief Bill
Is Clear Program for
Struggle on the Land
Proposed by Communist Party, 1t Provides Firm
Basis for Fight of Poor Farmers; Workers
Organizations Should Back the Bill
BY C. A. HATHAWAY

the labOring masses of the
peasantry must be unhesitatingIy
supported in their fight against
servitude and exploitation, against
oppression and impoverishment. Of
course this does not mean that the
proletariat should support every
peasant movement without excep-
ton. But they should support
those peasant movements, those
peasant struggles, which tend di-
rectIy or indirectly to promote the
emancipation of the proletariat, to
supply motive power to the prole-
tartan mill, to make the peasants
a proIetarian reserve, to transform
them into allies Of the urban
workers."-JOseph Stain In Ten
inisnn."
THE Farmers Emergency Relief
! Bill, proposed by the Communist
Party, has that feminist aim.
It is the first proposal for farm
legislation which takes into account
the most urgent needs of the great
mass Of the nations laboring farm
ers. It provides the impoverished
farmers with a clearly defined fight
ing program which leaves the bour-
Eeois exploiters Of the farmers no
room for evasion. It has the same
significance In the farmers strug-
giles as H. R. 1898, the Unemploy-
ment Insurance Bill, has for the
workers. 1t is certain that this bill
will quickly gain mass support.
Another important fact must be
noted. This bill, the Farmers Emer-
gency Relief Bill, is brought forward
by the Communist Party, the party
of the proletariat 1t places the
revolutionary working class, and its
vanguard, the Communist Party, in
the very forefront of the struggle
for the needs Of the farming masses.
It throws up challenge to the bour-
geois and reformist leadership Of the
farm organizations, who work hand
in hand with Roosevelt's banker
government. 1t marks distinct step
forward in the efforts of the working
class to win the toiling farmers as
revolutionary allies.
Until now concrete proposals for
farm legislation have come from the.
bourgeoisie and their refor1nist aids.
Their measures, while invariably d.
rected against the interests of the
impoverished farmers, and benefit
ting only big city capitalists and
relatively few rich or well-to-do
farmers. created many illusions
among the poorer farmers. They did
not see the class divisions in the
countryside. They did not see that
the big landlords and the richest
farmers were working in close al
lance with the capitalist rulers in
the city. They believed the promises
made that first Hoover's and then
Roosevelt's farm programs would aid
agriculture in general, and thereby
also the impoverished farmers.
The Farmers Emergency Relief
Bill draws class lines in the rural
districts as we'll as in the city. 1t
does not approach the problem from
the viewpoint of aiding agriculture
I'm general" 1t undertakes to pro-
vide firm foundation for the fight
to improve the lot Of the most ex-
pIoited, the poor and middle farm
erS.
This fight can result in forcing
The ruling class to grant immediate
concessions to the impoverished
farmers. When energetically sup
ported by the workers, this fight can
also lead only to a revolutionary al
lance of workers and poor farmers
for the overthrow of capitalism.
With power in their hands, with a
revolutionary workers government
established, the workers and farm
ers will then solve the general prob
lens Of agriculture as they are now
being solved in the Soviet Union.
Support for the poorer farmers
fight against oppression and i'm
poverishment and the winning Of
the poor and middle farmers as
revolutionary allies of the work
ers, this is the Fundamental OBJ
iective of the Communist Party
In bringing forward the Farmers
Emergency Relief Bill.
THIS bill does not reflect some new
1 program developed by the Com
munist Party; 1t represents only the
more concrete working out of the
central demand for the farmers
brought forward in the party's last
election platform. At that time we
demanded: Emergency relief for
the impoverished farmers without
restriction by the government and
banks; exemption Of impoverished
farmers from taxes, and no forced
collection of rents or debts" This
demand is now worked out in the
form of legislative bill, the Farm
ers' Emergency Relief Bill.
This bill contains proposals first
for the repeal of Roosevelt's Agri-
cultural Adjustment Act, which
works against the interests of the
impoverished farmers, and second
for new measures, all of which are
designed to aid only the impover-
ished farmers. 1t stops evictions
even to the point of cancelling those
debts threatening such evictions. 1t
further provides for cash relief. for
crop production loans, and for farm,
home, equipment and live stock
loans.
Most important to emphasize is:
ID who will benefit from the act,
and co who will administer the act.
Section Q of the proposed bill
clearly states who shall benefit. This
Is accomplished by clear sharp
definition of the term farmer" 1t
saws, "the term farmer as used in