The Washington times., 1934-12-15
BANKHEAD ACT
WINS IN POLL
BY 10 To |
Cotton Farmers Give Big Vote
of Approval to Control
Continuance

ATLANTA, Ga, Dec. is.
Q.N.SO The South's dirt farm.
ers, whose chief money crop for
nearly a century has been cot.
ton-at once a blessing and a
curse-have found that crop pro-
duction control is the magic solu.
ton of their principal problem
a widely fluctuating market.
In one of the most amazing
referenda on record some two
and half million men whose
livelihood is dependent upon the
soil went to the polls yesterday
and voted to continue the revolu.
tionary, experimental Bankhead
act.
Huge Majority
They polled a stupendous TO-
to-one majority in favor of letting
the Federal Government, in one
Of the most daring phases of it's
New Deal, tell them just how
much cotton they may grow each
year.
Voluntarily, almost unani-
mouSly, farmers in the 16 cotton
growing States limited their next
seasons crop to probable maxi.
mum of 100000 bales.
This is the goal of the Admin.
istration for the 1886 crop year
from 34,000,000 acres. Last year
the limit was 100000 bales. A
nature that is blind to mans ef.
forts, however, wrote it's own so.
luton with drought and adverse
weather conditions that brought
crop of only 9,7O0,000 bales on
the 100000 acres that were
planted under the control meas.
ure.
The record vote in favor OF con.
tinuing crop control cleared the
air of bitter controversy that has
ragged in the South over the effec.
tiveneSS of the act, controversy
that has provided a number Of
Southern politicians with talk.
ing point for their championship
of the common people" in cam.
paignS for Governor and Senator.
Faith in President
With startling clarity, too. the
vote was another indication of the
faith the South places in the man
in the White House.
President Roosevelt, white at
Warm Springs recently, expressed
his belief that continuance of crop
control was the Wisest course for
the farmer and promised to sup
port legislation that would exempt
the farmer who grows an average
of less than two bales.
Prior to the Presidents express
sion there was considerable doubt
whether the act would survive an
other year. BecausG of wide
spread discomfort wien some of
its phases the Government had
decided to put the matter Squarely
up to the farmer and let him de-
eide his own destiny. 1t was felt
that quotas favored the large pro-
ducer and we're unjust to the far.
mer who normally grows only a
small crop.
Other strong opposition came
from Texas, the largest producer,
and Oklahoma, stricken by last
summers record drought. The
growers in these States said that
nature had provided its own con-
troll measure and had they planted
unlimited acreage they would not
have suffered such heavy money
loss.
Solution Seen
The Presidents tWo-bale eXemp-
ton proposal, however, apparently
provided a solution to the prin.
cipal objection to crop control.
Texas voted approximately
eight to one to retain the act. In
Oklahoma the count was below
the required twothirds majority,
but gave clear affirmative lead
of several thousand.
The chief opposition in the
Southeast was led by Governor
Eugene Talmadge, of Georgia, a
consistent critic of the New Deal,
and United States Senator Theo.
dore Bilbo. of Mississippi.
They seized upon the dissatis-
faction of the small producer over
his quotas and stumped their
States shouting for abolition of the
Bankhead Act-Mr. Bilbo in his
campaign for the United States
and Governor Talmadge
for rejection as governor.