The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-06-07

D6kOC8S darQeSC
Hit Says Wallace
In Bismarck Talk
Judge Christianson introduced him
10 the crowd and to the radio audi
enoe. the set address being broadcast
over . chain hook-up. It was the first
chain program ever to originate in
Bismarck, according to officials Of
HFYR.
Secretary Wallace said his main
purpose In Bismarck lis to assure you
that your government will do every
thing IN It's power to soften the blow
Of this devastating drouth."
Human Relief First
Tho first move, he said, must be
for the relief Of human beings In dis
tress: the second, for the protection
Of property, notably livestock.
More food, more clothing, and
more money, in SO far as it is neces-
sary, must and will be supplied he
explained and added, in regard to the
crisis facing the livestock industry,
that, besides the l27 counties IN the
Dakotas named as emergency drouth
counties" others will be added II nee
essary.
He divided relief measures into
four classes: First, the government
will buy surplus cattle where feed and
water are short; second, feed will be
transported to enable the stockmen to
maintain their foundation herds;
third, the railroads have granted
freight rate reductions on cattle NOV
ing out and feed coming in; and
fourth, farmers who have acres under
AAA contract will be permitted to
use them for production OF forage
and pasturing. ......
'As always, however" he added,
@the main burden rests on you who
live in the drouth area.
II do not see how anyone who has
gone through this drouth area can
say kind word for natures method
Of crop reduction. Mans methods
may be full Of imperfections but they
are perfection itself by comparison.
He defended the agricultural adj
justment act on the grounds OF its
flexibility as witnessed in government
methods Of meeting the unpredictable
drouth crisis. ....
Point to AAA F1exibility
ITS flexibility," he said, becomes
deeply significant. No one can safely
predict that our problems will always
be one Of reducing the agricultural
output. Some such fleyibility is need
- L. hS,$1 en oOrir11lfnrQ1
adjustment measure"
He spoke Of the AAA contract pay
ments as a form Of crop insurance"
adding that every year in this coun-
try, some farmers somewhere see
their crops ruined by drouth hail,
flood, wind, disease or pests. 1nsur-
ance on farm animals covers less than
I per cent Of the value Of livestock.
Under the agricultural adjustment
oct, this form Of insurance is real
ity. It may not provide as much to
the individual grower as he needs, but
1t does go a long way toward 1t.
Wheat growers have already had one
benefit payment, and another one is
coming along now. Corn-hog pro-
ducers are beginning to get their first
payments, and second will be due in
the fall They have that much
against utter economic ruin in a
drouth such as this and they have
that much less need for relief.
Il have never believed" he admit
ted, that our present program Of ag-
ricultural adjustment could or should
be permanently continued in pre-
cisely It's present form and our ex-
perience thus far, plus the impact OF
this drouth, suggests the direction in
which we may have to move.
Need Farm Reserves
Perhaps 1t would be possible to set
mp . mechanism whereby growers
could maintain necessary food re-
serves by means of the loans similar
to the present corn and cotton loans.
Stored commodities owned by produc-
ers and held IN the country might be
part of the system of benefit pay
ments In an adjustment program, the
commodities stored in years Of sur
plus to become available to farmers
In lieu Of benefit payments in subse-
quent years Of production curtailment
But whatever the mechanism, II
would, Of course, have to be so de-
signed and operated as to fit smooth
" into the commercial marketing sys-
TEN without disturbing effects on mar.
ket prices.
II hope he concluded. that you
Will discuss this problem among your.
selves and that farmers everywhere
will do likewise, so that We may have
your own experience and sound judg.
ment as to the WiSest course for thu
nation to pursue"