Evening star., 1935-04-23

I have not hesitated to support leg
islation designed to assist the orderly
and profitable production and MARKET
ing Of farm products. Where Q sub
stantial majority Of the growers OF IN
agricultural product desire by an ur-
Influenced referendum to restrict pro-
duction, I will support the necessary
legislation to do so, always preserving
the right of discontinuance or change
when the producers desire. I mention
this to emphasize that the original
legislation was not to dictate to the
individual farmer, but to furnish facil.
tiles to effect such arrangements aS
the producers may desire.
Quotes Section.
As illustrative Of the evil of Great
ing great bureaucracy that uses some
power as q lever to get more power,
the legislation now requested by the
Secretary Of Agriculture gives to him
arbitrary and autocratic control over
the production and distribution Of
every farm product, perishahle and
non-perishable. This control viii be
exercised by the most offensive method
"a licensing system, where the terms
Of the license can be fixed by the
Secretary, and no one can ship or
handle food In intrastate, interstate
or foreign commerce without such u
cense. I quote here the licensing pro-
vision Of the law proposed: After
due notice and opportunity for hear
ing, and upon q finding by the Secre-
tary that such action will tend to ef-
fectuate the declared policy Of the
act, to issue licenses to professors,
associations of producers and others
engaged in the handling Of any agri-
cultural commodity or product there
of, or any competing commodity or
product thereof, in the current Of or
in competition with or SO as to burden,
obstruct or in any way affect, inter-
state or foreign commerce, which pro-
vide that such handling may be en-
gagged in by the licensees only upon
such terms and conditions" etc.
Processing is defined (and again I
quote from the law) Involving q
change in the form Of the commodity
or its preparation for market" The
individual farmer Is not mentioned
in the licensing clause, yet any farmer
who prepares for market or handles
for sale any product Of bis farm, or
any association Of producers, Is sub
ject to a license upon such terms and
conditions as the Secretary may pre-
scribe, or the license can be denied BY
the Secretary, and II granted may
contain restrictions which viii render
impossible the marketing OF such
product, as the Secretary IS given
broad authority to determine the char
acter of the provisions Of the license.
The terms of the license could restrict
production or specify the markets to
be shipped to, or otherwise completely
control the farmer In his operation.
And then every handler Of . food
product could be likewise licensed, 50
that beginning with the farmer .
license could follow every article Of
food, down to the retail food stores
and the delivery wagon that carries
the food to the very door OF the con-
sumer. Only the person who eats the
food win escape this Federal dictator,
ship. Perhaps later the power Of
license will be extended to regulate
what we shall eat and how much, and
save US the trouble Of attending to
that detail of our daily existence.
Big Fines Possible.
Let the farmers remember that no
compensation can be paid for any
farm product excepting those named
in the original legislation and On
which processing taxes are levied.
The failure to observe the terms Of
the license would be punishable By
fines as high as $500 day, II the hap
less farmer were convicted.
In the mass Of regulatory legislation
recommended by bureau chiefs ct
Washington, and the rapid strides our
National Congress is making to regi-
ment the people of our country, moth
ing before suggested even approaches
the magnitude Of the task Of control
ling by license all food products from
the farmer to the ultimate consumer.
In much-discussed speech made
by Secretary Wallace in New England
q few days ago, he clearly indicated
his desire for great additional powers
of regulation of all foods, yet the tes-
timony before the congressional COM
mittees was to the effect that the de-
partment did not intend to use al
the power requested, but desired such
authority as gun behind the door or
big stick.
I have never known q bureau to
have power without exercising It. II
MIR. Wallace does not intend to use
this additional power he should not
ask Congress to grant it. Congress
should only grant power on the a.
sumption that it will be used.
Cite Tugwen Ideas.
In considering the demand Of the
Department Of Agriculture for au-
thority to assume supreme control over
all food products, the Tugwellian phi
losophy Of planned economy" Is Of
interest. This philosophy as outlined
in the books and speeches Of Prof.
Tugwell, now Undersecretary Of Agri-
culture, means, first, governmental
regulation Of all business, and then
governmental operation Of all bust
ness and then, in the exact words Of
DR.. Tugwell himself: "It has already
been suggested that business will log
ically be required to disappear. This
Is not an overstatement for the sake
of emphasis; it Is literally meant"
We have before US the example Of
the N. r. A., which controlled in
dustry as the A. A. A. Is now attempt
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