The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1934-09-27

itics to a large extent in the last
ten or fifteen years, but the stud
ents of transportation insist to me
that if such an office as secretary
of transportation with cabinet
membership is created right then
the railroads again will be in poll
tics up to their ears. Politicians
will not long over look the oppor-
tunity to dig their fingers into such
a luscious situation. They will see
how they can manipulate freight
rates to the benefit of their own
districts or states or other areas,
they will likewise see numerous
jobs and politics without jobs sink
to low ebb. 1t is thus made to ap-
pear, and in this statement l am
voicing the consensus of numerous
observers, that we are on the verge
of a crucial decision. 1t is one that
may mean as stated above, trans
fer of a gigantic industry into the
hands of politicians or the franz
ing of scientific policy for the
future. The forthcoming congress
must decide. ,... ...... .-..
AAA Explains Itself
The Agricultural Adjustment adj
ministration has just published a
treatise on the plan and philosophy
of the New Deal for American ag-
riculture in the form of a 52-page
booklet which is entitled Achieve
ing Balance in Agriculture" In
issuing the booklet the Adjustment
administration at the same time
released statement describing the
treatise as a statement " in popu-
lar language of the principles of
economics and social welfare which
the Agricultural Adjustment adj
ministration has followed in carry
ing out the adjustment program in
agriculture" The booklet is being
distributed in numbers running in
to the tens of thousands as a means
of getting the story over to the
people. It was printed at govern
ment expense in the government
printing office.
The responsible officials in the
Adjustment administration say the
booklet is intended to place be-
tween two covers a complete story
of "what we are trying to do" OBJ
servers in Washington freely are
saying that it is one of the most
elaborate documents to be released
as means of disseminating to the
public the theories upon which a
governmental activity is based.
Five chapters treat the historical
backgrounds of American agricul-
ture, the development of the coun-
try's economic system and emery
ency of the situation which brought
forth the agricultural adjustment
act. These sections are followed
by an exposition of the powers of
the Agricultural Adjustment act,
and an attempt then is made to
summarize the gains claimed to
have resulted from this expert
ment.
"The agricultural adjustment
act" the booklet says, "is based on
the experience of the past; it was
framed to treat the farm problem
as whole and to treat it in rela-
ton to the other basic elements in
our national life.
"The long time goal, the national
policy Of which these measures
were an increasing clear express
sion, is balanced agriculture.
There must be balance between the
production Of the farmers fields
and the consumption of their pro-
ducts. There must be balance be-
tween the income of the farmers
and the income of their neighbors
in the cities and towns. Insofar
as we are successful in achieving
and maintaining such a balance,
we shall insure a fair share of our
national income to the producers of
the farm commodities on which our
basic national welfare to large
extent depends"