Evening star., 1934-01-30
To the Editor Of The Star.

To the Editor Of The Star.
This national administration Is the
only one that I recall that has frankly
and candidly admitted that it has made
errors, egregious errors, as it were. Mr.
Hopkins says the c. w. A. program has
been a flop, and Secretary Wallace says
that the cotton-reduction program has
been unavailing, that normal crop has
been produced in spite of the fact that
some 100000 acres have been re-
moved from production. The admission
that such efforts have failed OF their
objective is in itself OF value, Tor 1t Is
only by the progressive elimination OF
errors that we make progress, and how
can errors be eliminated unless they are
recognized and admitted?
Taking these subjects in their inverse
order. I suggest that this farm problem
is one that is going to prove to be the
toughest of all to solve. In the first
place, there are two factors in the farm
equation that are uncertain, which
makes any calculation as to the out
come merely a guess; what the farmer
himself will do and What the seasons
will be. l am a farmers son, and do
know the farmer He is essentially
and fundamentally individualistic. He
has perhaps less of the cooperative
instinct of any class of people in our
citizenship. He will act collectively in
politics, but not so in business and
economics. I am saying what all know
who are acquainted with the farmer
when say that he will attend mass
meeting and pledge reduction and go
home and plan to double his acreage.
Now, he will live up to his contract to
the letter with the Government as to
reduction, but in spirit he will violate
it viciously. 1t means but little to re-
duce the acreage, and all the farmers
know that. He can circumvent the pur-
pose of reduction readily. All he has
to do Is to select better land, increase
his fertilizer and manure, and, with
favorable seasons, the yield will prob
ably be doubled. For this reason 1 put
but little, if any, faith in the acreage
reduction program, and think Secre-
tary Wallace has about come to the
same conclusion. Reduced yield is the
objective, and this can be obtained only
by limiting the quantity Of agricultural
products that may be marketed from
year to year. This, Of course, involves
the licensing system, which, manlfeStly
has many legal difficulties. But under
this system the farmer could conceiv-
ably take advantage of good yields and
rest for season or two.
However, I offer no solution, for
have none. I am merely pointing out
the difficulties of the farm problem.
But as to the c. w. A. program. I
have some very positive views as to the
politics involved In the first place,
am not now and never have been con-
vinced that anything in the way of
permanent advantage can be obtained
by mixing politics with business. We
see lawyers of political prominence
moving into the District, and We are
told that they are getting fat fees.
Every business Is entitled to legal serv-
ice, but no honest business needs po-
litical service. This, know is not the
accepted view, but it is the only sensible
view. Any business that is bottomed
upon politics is unsoundly established
and should be reorganized.
Now, I say this independent of the
revelations of graft and corruption IN
cident to the c. w. A. program; fur
thermore, do not have any fear as to
the political reactions thereto. I do
not know of any political revolution in
this country resulting from political
corruption. 1t was no wave of right
eous indignation that put Mr.. Roose-
VelC III CQe WIllIe Rouse, WHICH he 1ull
well knows. The people just don't re-
act that way, else the Republicans
would have been driven from power in
1924. 1t is the purse, and not the
moral impulse that causes political up
heavals in this country In 1924 the
Republican party was absolved Of all
responsibility on the theory that guilt
was personal. But then the average
pocketbook had a little change in it,
which made the difference between "a
and 80
But Mr.. Roosevelt is everlastingly
right in demanding that the common
decencies be observed in this political
game When man picks up, bag and
baggage and moves thousands of miles
to the District upon the induction of
his party into Office and offers no serv-
ice other than political service-why