Evening star., 1936-11-11
PRESS
:IFOR A. A. A. CURB
Farm Bureau Federation
, May Raise Ghost and
( sEmbarrass New Deal.

The representatives of several hum
dred thousand farmers Throughout the
United States today planned a Nation
vide campaign for re-enactment into
law of the production control features
Of the agricultural adjustment act, de-
spite New Deal coolness toward re-
vival of the outlawed farm aid pro-
gram. .+s-
This embarrassment to the admin
ttration is expected to come to head
duting the California convention early
in December of the American Farm
Bureau Federation Its president. Ed
ward A. O'Neal. told Secretary Wallace
and President Roosevelt he preferred
the old benefit payment plan. with
the processing tax. to the proposal of
crop insurance.
No Assurance Of Old A. A. A.
President Roosevelt, however, told
his press conference that demands of
farm leaders for Federal production
control program did not mean the
original agricultural adjustment act
would be re-enacted, nor that farmers
were opposed to crop insurance.
He said also he had discussed the
farm tenancy problem with Rexford G.
Tugwell, head of the Resettlement Ad-
ministration. Tugwell has expressed
his hope the New Deal agency could
be made a permanent part Of the
Agriculture Department and help
tenants toward farm ownership.
Mr.. Roosevelt said Secretary Wal
lace. head of the special Crop Insur-
ance Committee, informed him that
farm leaders, called to discuss insur-
ance, were interested in avoiding crop
surpluSeS that wrecked prices.
A few hours prior to the Presidents
press conference, group of farm
spokesmen from the Great Plains area,
which was hard hit by recent doughts,
asked Wallace and the Insurance Com
rnittee Ito work out a practical plan
OF crop Insurance. with q start on
wheat in 1887.
e"For the Great Plains farmer" the
dought area farmers said, crop insur-
al1ce is "of equal Importance" with re-
t1tdl VI Jllt VI mai "a. "A. "A.
r. Demand Quick Action.
THE Farm Bureau, nevertheless, seems
In the mood to demand that Congress
fly directly in the face Of the Supreme
Court and pass new crop-control
law, rather than wait the long months
or years which would be necessary for
the passage of constitutional amend
ment giving the Federal Government
the right to dictate the acreage which
could be devoted to any crop.
The Court concluded in the Hoosac
Mills case that the system of benefit
payments and processing taxes con-
stituted compulsory control of agricul-
tural production and as such was not
countenanced by the Constitution. A
cotton crop planted since this decision
removed restriction on cotton acreage
is estimated at II, 100000 acres, which
is more than the country needs and
which drives down the market.
While the farmers prepared to battle
for a renewal of the bigger benefits
of 1888, 1884 and 1885, the agricul-
tural experts of the administration
toyed with these possible plans of
effectively controlling agricultural
commodities and granting subsidies
without directly flouting the Supreme
Court:
l. Establishment of the pro-rate
two-price system, whereby every
farmer has a share in the domestic
market at fixed price and is free to
Sell his surplus in foreign markets at
the world price.
2. Open up bigger foreign markets
either by lending S500,000,0 900 abroad
for the purchase of American agricui-
tural commodities or by lowering the
tariff level enough to permit $780,
100000 increase by foreign purchasers.
Relies on Two Main Phases.
The chief reliance, however, will be
the crop insurance and the soil con-
servation which, it is indicated, Presi-
dent Roosevelt regards as the corner
stone of his permanent agricultural
policy.