The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-12-21
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National Topics Interpreted II fTMFFTTf@
by William Bruckart @qR1I5TTf
by William Bruckart

stretching job. There are the western
groups, there are the Borahs, there are
the conservative fasteners and there
are many conservatives who do not
like any one of the other factions. If
Mr.. Fletcher or Mr.. Borah or Mr..
Couzens can mold a party insignia out
of the material at hand political writ
ers generally believe the Republican
party can make its presence felt In
1886. If, however, the Borahs. Nyes,
Norrlses and others continue to pull
one way and the Fletchers, Hilleses
and Requas are found Juggling at the
other end the chances of this elephant
eventually dying seem better than ever.
that in the Agricultural Adjustment
act, American ag-
Would Continue riculture has an
AAA Program effective means Of
adjusting its pro-
duction to the needs of the market, ac-
cording to conclusions announced by
Secretary Wallace in his annual report
for the Department of Agriculture Mr..
Wallace believes that the adjustment
program should be continued although
he admitted that the enormous sur
pluses which previously existed have
now largely disappeared as result of
drouth or from other causes.
The secretary's report shows some
indication, in the opinion of observers,
of an intention to change the tack Of
the adjustment program. He suggested
that the task ahead may include adj
justment of production to rising de-
mand and that, it was pointed out, will
certainly not require crop reduction
exclusively. The fundamental pur-
pose, according to the secretary's out
line, is to establish balance between
production and consumption, and in de-
scribing this program he coined the
new phrase balanced abundance I'm
less this is done, Mr.. Wallace declared,
there is danger of the country falling
into a pit of scarcity economics"
''In 1885," the report continues, sag
riculture had enormous SURPRISES of
wheat, cotton, tobacco, and hog prod
ucts, which had accumulated as re-
suit of wartime expansion, economic
nationalism, strangled foreign trade.
and reduced domestic consumption.
Prices had fallen to so per cent of
their 1929 level. Merely to avert farm
ruin 1t was imperative to eliminate the
surpluses.
"As matters then stood, production
control seemed to be synonymous with
crop production. But 1t was never
contemplated that reduction once start
ed should be continued indefinitely.
1t would be a serious mistake to reduce
farm production constantly. Such q
course would raise prices temporarily,
but would restrict consumption, and /.
create new farm competition at home
and abroad"
Mr.. Wallace added that it is neces-
sary to recognize that crop control in
wolves a restriction of agricultural pro-
duction and declared that the only al
tentative is a recovery in agricultural
exports.
"This can be soundly achieved" he
said, "only on a reciprocal basis with
this country importing goods in re-
turn"
The secretary gave it as his opinion
that immense benefits would accrue by
increased international trade. 1t can
not be world policy, according to his
analysis, for each nation to "live at
home" but the secretary did not state
in his analysis what commodities he
thought proper for Importation. 1t was
with respect to this phase of his report
that there was much comment devel-
oped in Washington.
The Wallace report also stirred up
discussion again as to the lack of CO.
ordination between various New Deal
policies and agencies. New Dealers
frequently have talked about develop
ing export trade and vast sums have
been expended by various groups and
commissions under authority of Presi-
dent Roosevelt in efforts to send Amer
lean products abroad-and get paid
for them. To that extent, Secretary
Wallace and the other New Dealers
agree, but beyond that there appears
to be parting of the ways.
Government efforts to prevent soil
erosion-another term for stopping
gulleys-have Gre
Problem ated a problem for
for Farmers farmers and for
manufacturers Of
farm equipment. One Of the methods
employed to control soil erosion is the
construction of terraces on hillsides.
Now, the Department Of Agriculture
has discovered that machines hitherto
satisfactory for cultivation of fat or
rolling land are no good for cultivat-
ing terraces. So Ralph W. Baird, one
of the departments experts, has in
formed the American Society Of Agri-
cultural Engineers that machines for
farm use hereafter must be more fiex-
ible.
The engineering society members
.uoro grateful Same of them fold mo