The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-09-19

ner mlSglVlngS, the AAA shortly Will
put into effect the new and extremely
drasaic Potato Control law, is because
it has to. 1t has no choice but to go
ahead.
The point has been reached where
potato control is essential to the whole
AAA program. Either they have to
make it work or nothing works. 1t is
a perfect illustration of the zone step
follows the other" truth. In the be-
ginning AAA started to limit only
one Southern crop-cotton. Later
tobacco was added. The cotton and
tobacco farmers cut down production,
accepted their bonuses, but-particu-
larly in North Carolina-turned their
unused acreage into peanuts. This
caused a glut in the peanut market,
reduced the price and threatened the
peanut industry, which is big one.
**#
In February, 1884, the AAA had to
add peanuts to the crops it must con-
troll. A limit was put upon the
amount of peanuts which could be
raised. At once the North Carolina
farmers, with more idle acres than
ever, went heavily into potatoes. The
result was a glut in the potato market
all over the country and a disastrous
depression in potato prices. At once
potato control became imperative, al
though, of course, it had not been
contemplated. Few had seen that cot
ton control would drive the farmers
into tobacco, tobacco control drive
them into peanuts, peanut control
drive them into potatoes.
M#*
Yet that is what happened. Start
ing out with the declared purpose
of controlling three crops only, AAA
now has extended control over four
teen. What crop will come next no
one knows, but the fact that, in the
end, unless the Supreme Court, before
the election, or the voters, at the cleo
ton, put an end to this experiment,
ultimately all crops will come under
in their turn. AS Senator King, Of
Utah, said in the Senate, eve may
expect next session to find measures
to bring other commodities under con-
trol-carrots, cabbages, lettuce, to-
matoes, and all kinds of fruits and
vegetables"
Says Mr.. Mark Sullivan, "The proc
ess cannot stop with the farm. Once
restriction is put upon farm crops, it
must be put on articles that compete
with farm crops. Already AAA has
put restrictions on paper towels and
jute bags. Soon there will be restric
tions on silk and rayon. 1t must go on
until there is price fixing of every
commodity and ultimately wage fixing
IN every area of life. AAA, if it is
kept, will ultimately do everything at
tempted by NRA." Prof. Lionel Rob-
bins is ever more emphatic. "Once", he
says, governments start to control
important branches on industry, if
they are not willing at some point to
reverse their policy, there is no stop
short of complete socialism"
1t is impossible to review the step
after step taken by AAA since it
started without being impressed by
the views quoted above. And it is i'm
possible to read the Potato Control
amendment without approaching that
this is one of the most radical meas
ures ever enacted by Congress. 1t
means not only that every farmer can
raise not only the amount of pota-
toes allotted him by AAA but cannot
sell them except in the stamped con-
tainers prescribed. The compulsion
club is the tax imposed for raising
more than the allotment-45 cents
bushel, which is confscatory. The pen
alties are amazingly severe-S1 900
fine for the first offense, and imprison-
ment-not more than year-for the
second.
Various thoughts arise as one re-
fleets upon potato control. One is that
the difficulties of enforcing such a
law on 100000 individuals are bound
to be immense; another that it will
open the door for the potato bootleg
ger and afford a fine field for in
formers and shoppers; another is that
this is a long stride toward that ma
tionalism which Mr.. Wallace once de-
nounced, where there would be gov
eminent poster on every plowed field
and license for every farmer; and,
finally, that if the full implications of
AAA and the goal toward which it is