Evening star., 1936-02-02
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

A GRICULTURAL relief - to
~ supersede the "Three AS"
~ nullified by the recent Su-
preme Court decision-will be
an outstanding issue in the coming
campaign.
1t has already been made so in
debate on the floor of House and
Senate-and by speeches of pros
pective candidates for the Presidency.
While the Democratic administration
is rushing through stop-gap soil
conservation" program, in spite of
warnings that it is unconstitutional,
Republican authorities on the subject
are propounding policies for a devel-
oped and stimulated industry-to
make the basic industry of this coun-
try profitable The issue is clearly
between subsidized industry and one
that earns its way; between "a pro-
gram of scarcity or one of plenty"
Among the prominent Republicans
who have brought this question to
the forefront in campaign speeches
are former President Herbert Hoover
in a notable speech at Lincoln, Neb.,
January l6; Gov. ALI Landon of Kan
sas in announcing his candidacy for
the Republican nomination for PreSi-
dent. on Kansas Day. January 29, at
Topeka, demanding "a farm policy
giving agriculture equality with in
dustry"; Col. Frank Knox of Chicago
another presidential aspirant; SEN
ator Charles L. McNary Of Oregon
Republican leader in the Senate
jointly sponsoring with Representa-
tive Roy o. Woodruff of Michigan a
farm relief bill based on the best
judgment of the three largest farm
organizations: and Senator L. J. Dick
inson of Iowa, who, during his entire
service of IL years in the House and
in the Senate as leader in legis-
lation affecting agriculture, has broad
cast six-point plan for making agri-
culture stable and profitable as the
great basic industry. Others already
conspicuous in the fight are Senators
Capper of Kansas, Norris of Nebraska
and Norbeck of South Dakota, all
members of the Senate Committee on
Agriculture and Forestry.
New Bill Held Subterfuge.
Many in Congress and other au-
thorities believe the administration
bill, sponsored in the Senate by Sen
ator Bankhead of Alabama and in
the House by Chairman Marvin Jones
of the House Committee on Agricul-
ture, is a subterfuge that would re-
enact the principles of the A. A. A..
and would prove to be unconstitu-
tional, and ''if attempted would result
in further disappointment and losses
to the farmers and consumers" 1t is
pointed out as significant that the
administration bill is not sponsored
by Senator Ellison D. Smith of South
Carolina, chairman of the Senate
Committee on Agriculture, and that
he reserved the right to oppose it on
tile floor and stated that he and sew
eral other members of the committee
have grave doubts as to the funda-
mental legality of the measure.
Such Democratic stalwart as Sen
ator Tom Connally of Texas hasn't
much faith in the administrators
farm policies and has introduced an
export debentures bill to aid in the
control and disposition of the surplus
of agricultural commodities. Similarly,
in the House. another Democrat, Rep
resentative Edward C. Eicher of Iowa,
has yet another bill pending 'to re-
store and stabilize agricultural buying
power" by regulating interstate and
foreign commerce and the value of
money in agricultural commodities, of
which there is an exportable surplus,
by establishing minimum cost of
production price for the domestic con-
sumption percentages thereof and by
providing for the orderly marketing Of
the export percentages thereof.
Senator Robert D. Cary, Repub-
lican, Of Wyoming has introduced
bill authorizing an appropriation Of
$3.50, 100000 with which the Secretary
of Agriculture would purchase up to
50,000,0 900 acres of submarginal agri-
cultural lands which have been
planted to cotton, wheat, corn or other
cereals-thiS land to be used for pub
lie purposes as the President directs.
His bill also provides that the surplus
in food products beyond domestic
consumption needs would be purchased
with Reconstruction Finance Corp.
funds and turned over to an export
corporation, either designated or Gre
ated.
It seems to be the purpose Of the
administration forces to work out the
Bankhead-Jones bill in some form and
bring 1t to final vote before consid-
ering any other farm relief proposals.
Behind that legislative barrier are
the time-honored plans, advanced by
those who have a practical rather
than theoretical study Of the prob
lens Of farm production and market
ing, for building up a self-sustaining
and profitable industry. These are to
be much discussed in the coming CAM
paign. Among them is the McNary-
Woodruff bill, introduced three weeks
ago. For four years Senator McNary,
recognized as an au-
thority on agricultural legislation, has
been endeavoring to get action on this
bill. Briefly it provides for the equal
ization fee, the debenture and allot-
ment plans. He finds that the admin
Istration bill contains all the essen
tial weaknesses of the A. A. A. and
would result in regulating the farmers
business the same as before, and COL
lides squarely with the Supreme Court
decision"
Debate In Congress has emphasized