Evening star., 1935-07-12

passage Of this act. 1t was now In
the domain Of legislation and of prac-
tical administration. I recall that
some of my colleagues in the Senate
who voted for it did SO with great
reluctance. Others could not see
their way clear to vote for the bill.
There existed feeling that farmers,
notoriously individualistic, would not
cooperate in voluntary adjustment
plans in sufficient numbers to accom-
plish the desired results. There was
fear of too much opposition from
those for whose welfare it was in
tended. Some of these same COL
leagues, after observing the operations
Of the Agricultural Adjustment Ad-
miniStration for the past two years,
are now enthusiastic supporters of
the act.
If any one doubts the beneficial re-
suits of this new lease on farm life,
let him examine the record from the
standpoint of increased farm income,
and from the attitude of the farmers.
Wheat has advanced in price from IS
to 80 cents, cotton from S to IL cents,
corn from 10 to 80 cents, hogs from
to 10 cents, flue-cured tobacco from
11.6 to 27.3 cents, hurley tobacco from
1875 cents to 1863 cents and rice from
39.1 to IT'S cents. Specially crops
have in the main had splendid in
creases in prices. The Nations cash
for,,, ;pooVv,o roea fro,,, Cd o0Q mn nm
in 1882, to $6,090, 900, 900 in 1884.
The attitude of the farmers is
clearly demonstrated by votes cast in
recent referenda to ascertain whether
the producers favored continuance Of
adjustment program. The votes were
as follows: Cotton, 1,361,347 for,
1904 against. Kerr-Smith tobacco
act, 37O,9O7 for, 1858 against. Flue-
cured tobacco program, 184,755 for,
3,408 against. Corn-hogs, 389,139 for,
190,577 against. Wheat, 404,270 for.
62,291 against. Grand total, 2,430,418
for, 44O,379 against.
Opposition of Processing Tax.
The chief opposition to the A. A. A.
has grown out of the processing tax.
The division on that subject Is similar
to the controversy that has ragged
for more than 100 years over the pro-
tective tariff tax. The farmers have
paid the tariff tax on industrial COM
modities, while basic farm commodi-
ties have been sold at world prices
The processing tax is a countervailing
compensatory tax for the protection of
the farmers It now appears clear that
any party which favors taking the
benefits of the processing tax away
from the farmers will not hereafter
have their support. regardless of
former political affiliations.
The recent self-styled grass roots
convention evidently granted that
fact. The name adopted was an apt
one. From newspaper accounts about
the volunteer delegates composing the
convention, it appears to have been
an assembly of politicians who are
not acquainted with the practice of
destroying grass roots. If left to
their efforts grass roots would be the
principal crop on all farms.
It is certain that the delegates were
politicians and good ones. After much
preliminary ballyhooing against every
thing the administration has done,
the convention, guided by the advice
of older heads, in effect indorsed the
Agricultural Adjustment Administra-
ton.
With the farmers overwhelmingly
favoring its continuance, with the
Democratic party favoring it, and
the first big assembly of Republican
politicians acquiescing, it appears
certain that the A. A. A. is here to
stay.
Present Law Not Perfect.
The present law Is not perfect.
Congress in framing the act was
travelling a new road. In farming
parlance. new ground was being
plowed. Difficulties and obstructions