Plentywood herald., 1934-01-11


est OF the wheat allotment plan /
readers of the Herald. We are prini
ing herewith considerable part G
a message of Secretary of Agricul
ture Wallace at Philadelphia Thurs
day evening. December %.
MIR. Wallace evidently was think
ing about the workings of the ae
as applied TO Montana when h
prepared his message. as he refer
TO two different counties Within tn
state. one of which We are lead d
believe is our own Sheridan county
And here is the message:
For those of us who are disdllu
stoned about the virtues of ladsse
fahre and who shun the doctrine
whether of the left or of the RIGHT
this is an age of unpleasant alter
natives. IT we insist upon examfnine
every economic theory In the ligh'
of the facts about us. and if we In.
sist upon steering our course by
those facts. then our days are full
OF obstacles. The luxury of pure
abtlaction, the pleasures of logic
untempened by reality, the blissfu.
slngaemindedness of the man with a
cut and dried economic creed
--none of these can be ours.
1t is peculiarly true In agricul-
fure that our choice is between un
pleasant alternatives. Apparently
we have to choose between Low
prices, which are unbearable, a re-
duotlon in production, which is dis
tasteful and enormously difficult.
and a general lowering OF the tar
rif, which is politically difficult. In
other words. We have to choose be-
tween doing nothing, which lis un-
tllninkable, and stepping ON many
tender toes, which is no particular
pleasure for any of us.
Under an attitude OF drift, of
trustIlng TO luck. no one is required
no worry about the implications OF
individual behavior, and no one Is
expected to pay any serious atten-
tlon TO the consequences of what
ever great economic forces may be
at work. The moment a sociattv
abandoms its childlike faith that
Things will always turn out for the
best because they always have
more or less-4tihat moment is the
slgnAld for difficult alternatives to
crop U.S. Economic anarchy. we
agree. is not to be endured: we turn
our faces from it; but are we ready
and Wiladngly to undergo the severe
lnaeMectual training which collective
striving for economic order entails? !?
u our minds are ready, are our
hearts?
10 many Persons 1t is a deuress-
ing timing to have to be concerned
with the implications OF what they
10; but as | see it that is the least
lflce we must pay for modern civ
.iazatnon. Concern for the effect OF
Individual behavior upon the gro1,n
8 condition Of amy modern econ
,my.
When I say that our choice is
more often than not between red
tnVely unpleasant alternatives. + am
'peakdng, as YOU may have guessed |
rom experience. The Agricultural !!
Adjustment Act which no one has
'ver characterized as bed or rosas
nevertheless in my Judgment fine
nIy Immediately availabl alternative
Q ah utterly impossible situation In
'sfacuN'nre. Yet the Act has put lis
up against one obstacle after an
suner. 1t will continue to do so
mere Is nothing to be surprised at
n that, That has been true every
tep OF the way I'M mans conscious
les have been overcome bv cnn-
cnous effort In THE past; ii we have
nsnOHl, we know THAT In the mind
md heart Of mankind there are no
entdaldtdes that have never been
apped
It Is about one OF those potential
mes that I wish to speak TODAY
all No, for lack of better nbrase
oclal discipline.
- Is there amy hope THAT sa,ch
dascapline Is I'm the making In Am
rica?
ann not prepared today to am
Wer that question with flat YES
r no; | wish merely to describe
mat mas been happening in one
ector Of our recovery program and
, speculate ON Its significance.
The campaign of the Agric1llraIr-
Adjustment Administration 10
aduce wheat acreage will serve for /,
iustratlom. Without going into the .
acts Of the world wheat situation.
ldh which ti1is audience must be
lmlliar, wou will recall that during
he summer we offered the wheat
iTmers OF THE UNITED States AN op-
or'tunaty to undte in a voluntary
ffort TO reduce the acreage of the :
Theat crop to be harvested next
mmer. Our geaa, In lime with the
ondon agreement, was IS percent
7duction under the average harry
sted acreage OF the years 1890
932. To farmers who contracted
reduce their wheat acreage. when
nd If required, by not more than
0 percent for 1894 and also 1895.
le Adjustment Administration J
greed to pay benefits from funds
objected by a processing tax On
our. These benefit payments were {
be made ON Individual allot-
ents based ON the domentically
'nsumed part of the growers av- !
1age production, the base period 7
edng 1930A32. Z
In announcing the plan, we said. :
In general, THE plan lis intended to G
1tadn or the wheat growers who 9
I'LL cooperate with THE Agriculture 9
Is..-