Evening star., 1935-10-14
BY HAvID LAWRENCE.

SUI ACIOlOo ollON NlldI yOu lCICINC0
either 1884 or 1885 wheat allotment
check from your contract in Deaf
Smith County. No doubt you are
familiar with all the propaganda and
efforts which are being put forth TO
destroy the A. A. A. programs. Be-
hind all this effort and propaganda
Is well organized group with plenty
of funds, and they have one object
in vieW-the destruction of the agri-
cultural programs
"A farmers protective organization
has been perfected for the purpose
of fighting for the A. A. A. programs,
but this organization cannot hope to
be successful without help from every
county in the State Therefore. each
county has been requested to con-
tribute toward a fund according to
the amount Of money received from
the agricultural programs. Deaf Smith
County quota is s34O. Even though
more is secured there will be need
for these funds because the opposi-
ton has plenty of money to use. Mr..
H. G. Lucas. chairman of the Farm
ers' Protective Committee. Brownwood,
Tex, asks that We contact each of
you and send our money as soon as
possible.
80 Cents to 81.
II am asking each of you to please
contribute to this fund if you think
the program is worth fighting for.
Any amount you wish to give will
serve a good purpose. 1t has been
suggested that each contract signer
give from so cents to 81. We are
leaving it to each person as to the
amount he will donate
please return this letter at once
with your contribution to j. A. PITT
man, president Of Deaf Smith County
Wheat Association, Box SOC, Here
ford, Tex. We do net want it to be
said that Deaf Smith County failed
TO do its part in this work Thanking
you for your cooperating in this mat.
ter, ! am
Very Truly Yours.
"(Signed) J. A. PITMAN.
President.
Amount Contributed d
please return this letter with your
contribution or call by the wheat
Office"
Must "Stand In"
Well. the 4,5O0 production control
associations have 10000 officers and
the committees on these commodity
control associations have member
ship of about 100000 Last year about
Ill 900 of these members drew pay
on per diem basis, some small and
some larger amounts, but all the
funds came out of the cost of admin
istering the A. A. A. These commit
tee members are in constant touch
with the millions of farmers who re-
ceive A. A. A. benefits.
Since every farmer must stand in"
with these allotment committees, 1t Is
unlikely that farmer will ignore
request for contributions. Nowadays
the fighting against the A. A. A. is
unquestionably related to party poll
tics, so, in a sense, the funds being
raised are to defend the Democratic
party program
Obviously the A. A. A. and the De-
partment of Agriculture will claim
no responsibility for the movement
because these production control as
Sociations have been set up so as to
have a minimum of direct connection
but a maximum of indirect connec-
| ton with the Government. Thus the
|, A. A. A. furnishes all the material for
these propaganda efforts by the Prod
uction Control Association and sends
speakers to attend the meetings and
forums. The belief prevails here that
the A. A. A. is counting more heavily
on these production control associa-
tions. with their far-flung influence
throughout the agricultural areas,
than on any other single factor in
keeping the Democratic administra-
tons program from being repealed.
Link Is Questioned.
"What, It might be asked is i'm
proper about farmers raising funds TO
carry on a propaganda in their own
behalf? The answer is: Nothing
whatever. The only improperly
arises in allocating a propaganda tax
based upon benefits received from the
Government of the United States and
placing the handling Of such fund
in the same agency AS is directly re-
sponsible for discretionary acts in
allocating quotas. The sponsors OF the
plan probably thought they were doing
no more than do manufacturers who
raise funds to maintain propaganda
for a protective tariff. But even the
latter activity seems to have been
frowned upon in recent months in
Washington as being peculiarly the
malpracticeS of old dealers and not,
Of course, by any stretch of the inn
agination attributable to the New
Deal.
Basically, propaganda is legitimate
il it is frankly and openly authorized
and sponsored and If It Is the result
of activities Of trade VI farm associa-
tions which do not in any way relate
their Embarrassing. even by implication,
to favors that might flow from the
Government or that might be with
drawn II the financial cooperation
sought for propaganda purposes is not
forthcoming.
Furthermore, city folks might ask
whether they should continue to sup
ply by processing taxes that are i'm.
posed on the cost of food and cloth
ing the funds being uSeo for propa-
ganda campaigns to prevent artificial
ly maintained prices from being scaled
down to benefit the housewife and
the American laboring man.
Copyright 1935J
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