The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-02-28
ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS IN
HOMES AND IN BUSINESS
Happenings That Affect the Din
ner Pail, Dividend Checks and
Tax Bills of Every Individual

Tax Bills of Every Individual
The Roosevelt Administrations re-
covery program is based upon the
work of two major bureaus. One, the
NRA, was designed to aid industry
and industrial workers. The other, the
AAA, was created to help solve the
farmer problems and put agriculture
on a paying basis.
Both bureaus adopted plans for rails
ing and fixing prices. The NRA did
this by means Of executive fiat. The
AAA, however, which was dealing
with products largely dependent on
the whims of nature, went much fur
Their. There was more meat being pro-
duced than people could buy-so it
killed off pigs. There was more cotton
than people were using-so it placed
heavy restrictions on cottn acreage,
and paid bouses to farmers for not
raising crop. 1t followed a similar
procedure with other basic farm pro-
ducts.
At the beginning, AAA executives
said their purpose was to bring the
farm price index back to the pre-war
level-this, they held, would enable
the farmer to make a profit, and would
not impose an excessive burden on the
buying power of the public. Prices
came back, touched the pre-war figure
and then continued to soar. The
other day the price level was 25 per
cent over its 1918 equivalent-and
AAA found itself with a frst-class
consumers war on its hands. Rumb-
lings of discomfort are heard from
millions of homes, where incomes have
not risen anywhere near the extent
of the rise in the cost of living.
Terrific rises are taking place in
meat prices. Butter is higher than it
has been for many years. Even spring
vegetables, usually dirt cheap, will,
according to forecasts, be relatively
expensive. Of the major edibles, only
fish, which is not subject to AAA con-
troll, is not advancing materially in
cost.
The result of all this is that AAA is
now definitely on the retreat. Crop
curtailment will probably be dropped,
so that production may increase and
automatically stop the present price
trend. Protest is coming in against
this change, from agricultural centers,
which can see only the boon of high
prices, but the chances are that con-
sumner pressure will win out. 1t is prob
able that all restrictions will be taken
off the farmer until prices return to
the pre-war level, when the AAA may
resume it's crop control policy.
Thus, one of the two basic recovery
bureaus has been forced to draw in its
horns. AS for the other, the NRA,
there is plenty of trouble in the offing.
Even it's sponsor, Mr.. Roosevelt, is be-
lieved to be cooling off so far as it is
conference.-the wants Congress to con-
tinue it, but on somewhat different
set-up than in the past. Wage and
hour provisions will be maintained
and labor will be guaranteed the right
to bargain collectively if it chooses
but many NRA powers over business
management will be dropped. A strong
drive against NRA price-fxing is de-
veloping in the Senate, led by that old
time foe of monopoly, Senator Borah.
1t is a safe representation that the
NRA will have little or nothing to
say about prices in the future-and
there is an excellent chance that the
antitrust laws, which the NRA made
imperative, will be brought back into
play.
AS a result, the Administrations
price-fxing program in both the in
dustrial and agricultural fields, can
be fairly said to have collapsed. Best
opinion holds that the Administration
is shifting in its position, that 1t Will
give industry and agriculture more OF
a chance to work out their own prob
lens, will depend less on legislative
palliatives. It hasn't been heralded in
headlines, but number of left-wing-
ers-who are strong for collectivism
and regimentation-have recently
been eased out of important positions
in both the AAA and NRA. The more
conservative citizens are pleased
they see a chance to get the kind OF
governmental policy they asked fol
and didn't get two years ago.