Evening star., 1934-11-11
BANKHEAD ACT Up
FOR VOTE |NMONTH
Sentiment Expressed by
Ballot Expected to Guide
Roosevelt.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Compulsory control Of cotton pro-
duction, most radical of the New
Deal farm plans, will face the acid
test of a popular vote during the sec
ond week in December.
After a years trial Of the Bank
head act which sought to limit pro-
duction to 10,460. .25l bales this year,
the Farm Administration announced
yesterday it will ask cotton farmers:
Are you in favor of continuing the
Bankhead act for next year?"
The exact date on which the poll
will be taken at 5000 balloting points
throughout the South has not been
finally determined. 1t hinges now
upon completion of printing of the
ballots. information and tally sheets.
Voluntary Plan Unaffected.
Secretary Wallace, in a statement
accompanying the sample ballot, de-
clared results of the vote will have
no effect on the voluntary control
program. which will be reopened for
new signers within few weeks. Rent
al and benefit payments for acreage
adjustment next year will continue
on much the same basis as prevailed
this year. he added.
Cotton farmers must decide wheth-
er, in their opinion, the adjustment of
cotton production under the volun-
tary contracts is sufficient to meet
the requirements of the present emer-
gency." the Secretary said.
will the efforts of small minority
of non-co-operators. the tendency to-
ward more intensive cultivation and
the possibility of new lands coming
into cotton production combine to
increase total production above the
point which seems desirable? That,
it appears, is the central question
involved in a decision on continuing
the Bankhead act for next year"
Wallace also said ''it is reasonable
to expect" that many difficulties en-
countered in administering the act
this year can be avoided, but he
hastened to add he was not attempt
ing to influence farmers opinions.
TT is my hope that cotton pro-
ducers will investigate carefully all
the facts and reach decision based
upon considered judgment as to
whether the Bankhead act is needed
to assure attainment of the objectives
of the cotton adjustment program"
he said. .
The unsigned ballot will give farm
ers an opportunity to vote yes or
no" on the question and will con-
tain no other information except the
admonition: Continuance of the
Bankhead act means that a tax will
continue to be levied on the ginning
of cotton in excess of an allotment
made to meet the probable market
requirements"
No cotton farmers will be barred
from voting because of race, A. A. A.
officials said, pointing out that all
persons who have the legal or equit-
able right as owner, tenant, share
cropper, or otherwise to produce cot
ton on any cotton farm, or part
thereof, in the United States for the
crop year 1856" are entitled to cast
their ballots under terms of the act.
Two-Thirds to Rule.
The referendum will be conducted
by Election Committees in each COM
muQlLy, WIFI OIlc ulcLlUcL VI CdCIl
county Production Control Commit
tee sitting in the election group.
A. A. A. officials do not expect
more than so per cent of the eligible
producers to vote in the referendum,
but a two-thirds vote of this group,
if it is evenly distributed throughout
the cotton belt, will be accepted as
an accurate estimate of sentiment.
On the result Of the poll will de-
pend President Roosevelt's decision
on whether he will proclaim contin-
uation of the act next year and Sec
retary Wallace's decision on levying
the so per cent tax on cotton pro-
duced on allotments granted to in
dividual producers.
Sentiment throughout the South is
divided on the question, according to
information reaching the Farm Ad-
ministration, and officials predict
spirited verbal battles before the dis
cussions now underway over advant-
ages and disadvantages of the meas
ure are terminated by the poll.