Evening star., 1935-11-10
Science Scans the A. A. A.
Brookings' Writers Study Crop Reduction and
Marketing Regulations, But the Public
Neglects to Study Their Books.

the tobacco industry. This book Is
called Tobacco Under the A. A. A."
and its author is Harold B. Rowe.
While the work reports that as a re-
suit of the A. A. A. direction the public
has paid higher prices for tobacco, the
increased cost to the consumer has
been slight and that the cost of the
program has been absorbed by the
| manufacturers, who in any event
would have had to give up about this
amount in order to retain their hold
on the business. The benefits to the
tobacco growers have been sufficient
to seem to justify such burden as was
imposed on other groups.
THE book entitled "The Dairy In
dustry and the A. A. A." was
written by DR.. John D Black pro-
fessor of economics at Harvard Uni
versity. 1t states that little tangible
result was achieved in either produc-
tion or marketing control. Achieve
ment, rather, must be measured ir
terms of progress toward understand
ing of the problem than Of its actual
solution. Few if any milk market
are operating satisfactorily under their
licenses, DR.. Black found.
The most recent volume in this Sc
ries is Marketing Agreements Under
the A. A. A." by Edwin G. Nourse.
| This report shows the origin Of the
marketing agreements and licensing
sections of the agricultural adjust
ment act and traces the evolution o.
the specific marketing adjustment un-
| dertakings that have emerged unde!
| these provisions. Further experiment
tation is recommended although it
/ held that many of the benefits elaine
/ for marketing agreements have nc
been clearly established.
1t may be worthy Of note that. al
though the question of the benefits {.
! lack of benefits of the A. A. A. pro
grams has occupied large sections CT
/ the press for months. and has been
the subject of bitter disputes among
statesmen, the sale of these highly in
formative. totally unprejudlced works
has not been above few thousand
in any case. The interest Of the
electorate in bread and circuses has
been attested to pretty generally
throughout history, and one would no.
like to take exception to so established
a tradition. Yet. in view of these
scant sales. it does appear that Amer
ican voters are higher minded than
were the Romans. We, apparently,
care only for circuses.
For no one can question that TIL
studies of these various programs de-
pretty intimately with our bread. 6
material a matter. evidently. is not
interfere with our traditional privile,
Of getting fun-and fur only-out
our political scene-changing.
1T MUST be admitted, of course, tn
so far as sprightlineSs of style goc
the Brookings Institution studies leav
considerable to be desired. They can
not be called sparkling. In fact, the
are full of tables. They do predicato
certain interest on the part Of the
reader. Undoubtedly that is why they
are not more popular Readers, lka
voters, enjoy being f1attered Facts
nave long way 10 90 OeIOIe tuey Cd!-
! compete with oratory.
Since the plight of the cotton rails
ers has been so widely publicized. the
appearance of the volume treating of
that industry is to BE awaited with
interest. But of even greater value
should be the summarizing volume,
which is to set forth the effects OF
the entire A. A. A. program. AS this
book is to come out in the Spring, il
might reasonably be expected to be CT
assistance to intelligen: but puzzled
voters in the approaching political d.
velopment. 1t would seem to be timel
! in appearance.
These works were financed by a spe =
cial grant from one OF the founda :
tions which support work il the social
science field 1t made similar grant
| for study of the N. R. A, which has
resulted in the publication of several
books which will be reviewed on this
mage shortly