The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-04-12

4 billion dollars WORKS Dill LnaI
has just been passed by congress
will be devoted to the development
Of subsistence home steads as a
solution" to the problems of the
unemployed workers and ruined
farmers. The National Resources
Board appointed by the president
to study agricultural problems,
which includes Relief Administrat-
or Hopkins and five cabinet mem
bers, states that the establishment
of homes for otherwise unemploy-
, ed workers must become ga broad
national policy"
What do these subsistence farms
really mean in terms of the lives
of farmers who may move onto
them? The census of 1880 re-
ports half million American far
mers as "sef-sufficing," but we
find that SO pecrent of this group
have practically no cash income.
What will it mean if the govern
ment succeeds in placing its 2 or
8 million surplus" farmers on
subsistence farms? We will let
the assistant director of Iowa's ex-
tension service paint the picture:
(radio speech Dec. &c, 1917
eve are told we cannot alb
serb all the workers full time
in industry again. If this is
true, we must face the neces-
sity of having large numbers
entirely on relief, and probably
another very large group on a
very low wage scale, or we must
develop some means of having
people provide a part of their
living. Part-time farming, as
the name signifies, means that
! there must be a paTt-time job
y to provide part of the income.
t Even if there was no such in
S come, and a given family was
I on relief, would not such a case
e be better off on a tract of land
r where some of the living could
y be produced?
i 'tOur data shows that general
i or specialized farmers need have
.e no fear of the competition of
5e part-time farms. The average
income of the first of the 800
farms surveyed was SASS PEI
n farm, most of which was con-
lie sumed on the farm"
The cat jumped right out of tn
le bag. Part-time farms, or subsi:
r tence farms, will not produce cas-
v for the people living on then
ID We are to be stuck out in ii
ir sticks and FORGOTTEN.
Mt Plan Not New
er We have the proof that this 20
SIS icy was decided upon before Il
nd drouth of 1884. Back in Angus
slt 1888, Tugwell, undersecretary
IS agriculture, publicly stated:
IT. Owe must study and classif,
as American soil, taking out o
no production not just one part o
he a field or farm. but Who'll
X farms, whole ridges, perhap
whole regions. It has bee
g estimated that when lands no.
re unfit TO till are removed frOI
70 cultivation, something around
is million persons who now far
k. will have to be absorbed b
10 other occupations"
a A year and half later, Han
s, Hopkins, as relief administered
a raised TugwelPs ante another m
N lion:
s, "One-haIf of the farmers I
he the United States IN 1929 we
st producing seven4eigHths Of Il
IS. commercial crops, and this on
he half could, within the next fe
a years, expand their prOducti'
It's easily to include the final on
l." eighth, leaving the other half
ven our farmers with no market
hat commercial crops. We are tfel
by fore getting away from CONNIE
the cial farming and setting up !
of Mobilization families for prodI
nee, tiOn of home Reeds only"
oyd We, ard the farmers back h,
With we represent, are the surplus
ing mers that they are talking alb
the we belong to the three mil
ted whom they say are not needed
out farmers. We are being invites
nth. this polite way to simply e
and with no cash income. What
1ent We going to do about it?
to means that the farmers figh
re- becoming desperate. Formerly
fought for moratoriums, aga
evictions. Now we fight for
adv very means Of existence as wei
on the right to exist and continue
.age farmers. This conference will
onto give much time to longtime
It is ture plans, because we are Il
rou- with the need today OF defend