Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-06-27
OBSERVATIONS
By Cong. ELMER ]. RYAN

By Cong. ELMER j. RYAN
The AAA amendments passed the
House Tuesday, June IS.
When the amendments came from
the House agricultural committee in
their final form, they had almost
unanimous support from the commit
tee members. There was no minority
or dissenting report ON the bill such
as is usually filed when a minority
group of committee members are op-
posed to a measure which is favored
by the majority.
The bill passed without record
vote.
The declared policy of the present
act is that the farmer shall receive
price which will give him pur-
chasing power equivalent to that
which he enjoyed in the base period
is determined from an index OF prices
of goods which farmers buy. One OF
the new amendments provides that
the determination of parity shall in
volve considerations of interest and
taxes at their present rates. 1t is
estimated that, at the present time,
taxes per acre and interest rates per
acre are 100 to 40 per cent OF the
pre-war level. The processing tax
rates are based upon the calculation
of parity but the Secretary of Agri-
culture cannot impose processing
taxes which would raise prices above
parity.
The word reduction" in the Act
has been changed to adjustment"
so that hereafter the agricultural
program need not be one of "reduc-
ton" alone.
| Provisions regulating the action Of
the secretary have been inserted in
the bill in an attempt to conform
with the Supreme Court decision In
the Schechter case.
Under the amendment authorizing
the normal granary" plan, the gov
eminent is authorized to acquire agri-
cultural commodities which have been
pledged as security for government
loans and to make benefit payments
in kind 1t is felt that this plan will
protect against both shortages and
SURPRISES and will prevent excessive
price fluctuations
Another amendment permits the
export debenture plan to be put int
effect Thirty per cent of the total
customs receipts may be used, under
this provision, to substitute exports
or to develop the domestic markets
to dispose of SURPRISES. Under this
provision the sum of approximately
500, 100000 per year will be made
available for the benefit of agricul-
ture to be used outside the Agricul
tural Adjustment Act.
1t is believed by the Agricultural
Adjustment Administration and the
committee that efforts to restore agri'
cultural price levels in this country
will be hampered if foreign imports
are allowed to invade the domestic
market. For this reason, the amend
ments provide that the tariff commits
sion is to investigate and determine
whether imports are operating to in
terfere with domestic agricultural
price levels.
If such condition is found to ex
list, the President is directed and EN-
powered to limit imports or to impose
compromising taxes so that the entr!
of the things specified will not en-
danger the domestic market.
1t was feared by some members .
the committee that milk license:
might be used to bar the entrance
of dairy products from one section
of the country into other sections.
The amendments, in the form il
which they passed the House, pro
hibit such restrictions and most o
those who opposed the bill for tha
reason, supported it on final passage
The House, under suspension Of thu
, rules. re-enacted for another year thu
bill imposing the So-called nuisance
or excise taxes. two-thirds vOt
is required under suspension OF thu
rules but the bill passed with a few
votes to spare after debate had beel
limited to forty minutes.
, Speaker Byrns again took the flOO
to urge upon the House the necessit.
? of rapid action on important measure
, if the House is to adjourn at an earl
: date. The speaker called attention t
the many important matters still t
be considered and asked that tn
House convene earlier and hold eve
ming sessions, If necessary, in orde
r;,-o oaraf,,1 1orafion 70 .,onI