The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-05-08
Not All FumbleS

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matter herein are also reserved.
Not All Fumbles
1t is natural that President Roo
sevelt and his New Deal should be
singled out for bitter criticism as the
congressional elections approach. Now
is the accepted time for surges OF
sound and fury. But will an un-
bridled attack on the Roosevelt po-
licies in toto pay from a political
standpoint?
Hardly. There are weak spots
many of them-in the New Deal, be-
cause the emergency of millions Of
hungry men, women and children
called for desperate remedies. There
was no time to weigh cause and effect
as carefully as usually Is possible.
People were crying for bread and
work and such a situation had to be
met.
No doubt politicians prof e d.
Money has been squandered. But
that is not solely characteristic OF
the Democratic or Republican par
ties. Before us, too. for judgment
are the records Of some Of the Hoo
yer commissions-the farm board and
other activities which, II they do not
resemble impinge closely upon some
Of the remedies which President Roo
sevelt has been trying out.
Here in the rural sections as well
as in industrial centers, the applica-
ton of federal, state and local relief
was imperative. First aid had to be
rushed quickly to the victims and it
was done in that way through a very
loosely fabricated administration.
This picture must be kept In mind
always in assuming critical atti-
tude to the strictly humanitarian
features of the New Deal. When the
policies of currency. Of public works,
and of RECOMMENDATION Of farmers and
industries are considered as perma-
nent governmental features, then a
wide field of discussion expands In
which there always will be decidedly
different opinions. Warning students
OF different schools of economics will
quarrel and illuminate over the theor-
les Of Wallace and Tugwell as long
as time itself. But 1t must be remem-
bered, too, that some Of the things
which Secretaries Wallace and Tug
well are seeking to do have been re-
commended by the department Of
agriculture under several administra-
tions.
This is clearly set forth in a re-
cent address OF Mr.. Tugwell before
the New York Bankers association in
the following excerpt:
But it remained for the ope-
ration OF the federal farm board
to reveal the full extent Of the
surplus problem. Secretary
Arthur M. Hyde, in his 1880 re-
port, wrote: "One aspect Of the
farm problem overshadows all
others. Production -. is out Of
balance with the market and sur
pluses pile up continuously. ..
Our difficulty is not a sudden
k,,< Ill
production. =. want to en-
phasize the need for equitable, in
telligent, systematic and collec-
tive action notice that word
'collective'D to bring supply into
better relationship with demand.
-. The answer to overproduc-
ton is less production.
Again in 1881 Secretary Hyde
wrote: American agriculture
must adjust itself to a declining
export trade. AS things stand,
this need will persist, no matter
how favorably matters develop in
Europe, because our production is
overexpanded in relation to
Europe's wants. This Is
policy OF constructive adjustment
to a radically changing market
situation"
Looking back over the period
have been describing, it seems as
II the logic of events led In
evitably up to the Agricultural
Adjustment Act. Every secretary
of agriculture since the war had
pointed to the necessity Of doing
something about the surplus.
Secretary Henry G.. Wallace, In
his report Of 1924, issued after
his death. declared that "over-
production brought about the
collapse IN farm prices. -"
Secretary William M. Jardine
recognized the surplus as the CEN
trail difficulty. In 1925 he wrote:
1T Is well known that small sur
pluses exercise depressing ef-
feet on prices altogether dispro-
portionate to their. amount. j.
It Is TO the interest Of the entire
community that agric ulture
should not be periodically de-
pressed by overproduction ana
low prices"
In 1895 he said: AS to the sur
plus problem, there are two gen
eral avenues Of approach to it,
solution. One = through bet
ter adjustment Of production. to
market requirements" And In
1877 he declared: while farmers
themselves are reducing their
costs Of production through In
creased efficiency, public agencies
should cooperate with them -
effecting . better adjustment Of
production to demand"
& IS well then for the voters I