Evening star., 1934-04-07

Bulletin No. 414, on corn cultivation.
The subheading for the pamphlet is
possibility of doubling the present
yields" A departmental foreword to
the pamphlet ends with this ex-
hortation: Those who produce two
bushels where but one grew before
reap a greater profit and are great
benefactors Of the Nation"
That pamphlet was not maliciously
put out during the present emergency
by the department to upset its CROP
reduction educational plan. It was
first printed in 1910 and revised In
1925. But 1t is part Of the huge sup
ply Of educational material which the
department sends out on request to-
Gay, just as 1t has done for many
years.
I recently received about 40 differ
ent departmental pamphlets of this
type.
The mere sending out Of literature
will not make surplus crops, but it
can hardly be denied that failure to
halt the outflow Of these publica-
tlons designed to encourage and di-
rect higher production has worked
entirely against the decrease produc-
ton" pleas of the head of that de-
partment.
We have here another illustration
of the fact that in attempting to
reach everywhere the central gov
ernment, with the best of intentions.
often merely works to defeat itself.
The machine becomes so gigantic that
no man or group Of men can ade-
quately grasp its operations in all
their details, and as a result sub
ordinate groups conscientiously work
at cross purposes to one another.
Fertilizers Sold Heavily.
But even If it were not stepping on
itself in farm matters. the Govern
ment would have enough of q task in
its plan Of inducing farmers to lessen
production In the face Of an infla-
tionary program. The combination
Of probable lower production by many
farmers and practical certainty of a
stimulated increase in prices is like
ly to make this years output the
largest in several years, instead Of
one Of the smallest.
All the signs point to such a result.
Fertilizers are being sold heavily.
The demand for farm horses is great
er than at any time in recent years.
Breeding stock of nearly every kind
is in demand. These things are not
being bought by fanciers, but by men
who think that this Is the time to
unostentatiously speed up production.
Furthermore. in many lines. such as
dairying, output can be increased
without any particular increase in in
vested funds. It is generally agreed,
for instance. that by merely intensi-
flying the feeding program for dairy
COWS the milk production can be in
creased at least is per cent within q
few weeks.
Case Of Executive Division.
II the farmers would only follow
one set Of departmental advisers, crop
control would be in sight. But If
they follow the other set Of advisers
In the same department, and If they
also listen to the promptings Of In
dividual selfishness, they will prob
ably wreck the whole scheme.
Here we have a case of an impor-
tant division of the executive branch
Of the Government reproducing In its
own sphere that tumultuous enlarge
ment and overlapping Of functions
which has been Characteristic of the
executive department as q whole in
its relationship to the other branches
of Government.
No matter how clearly the lines Of
demarcation between the three
branches were drawn in the Consti-
tuition itself, there seems to have been
inherent in the executive department.
as the active arm of the Government,
an Unsuitable hunger after power Re-
cent events have stimulated that ap-
petite. until what was the equilateral
triangle Of our three-branch system
has been stretched upward toward the
executive until it closely resembles q
nreltdential redestall