Evening star., 1936-03-01
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

tional Emergency Council.
The report, Lyle T. Alverson, acting
director Of the council, said in . letter
Of transmittal, "is intended as a meas
ure Of the eficacy and accomplish
ments Of the administrator program
for economic recovery and reconstruct
tion."
As . complete campaign document
for New Deal Democrats. the report
is in class by itself. It's summary
Of the activities Of the Roosevelt ad-
ministration and what 1t has done
for relief and recovery contains $4,000
words in 125 pages.
Described by Mr.. Elverson as ian
informed survey Of the Governments
emergency activities" the councils
report is given under several subhead-
ings. dealing with agriculture, labor
and industry, fiscal affairs both pri-
yate and governmental; housing,
power, transportation. communica-
tions, relief of destitution and "other
activities" The last group includes
activities Of most Of the regular de-
partments, the p. w. A., the Securi-
ties and Exchange Commission and
several other agencies.
Farmer Aid Heads List.
What the New Deal has done for
the American farmers Is given first
place in the report. The net income
Of agriculture as an industry jumped
from $l,473 ,000, 900 in 1932-the last
year Of the Hoover administration-to
$3.50, ,000. 900 in 1895. This is an In
crease of $2.077, ,0o0,0 600. The net in
come, the report explains, is what the
farmers have after deducting current
production expenses. The report
showed that foreclosures on farms had
decreased from high of 388 per
thousand in 1888 to 2lO in 1895.
Gross farm income, the report
pointed out. had dropped from ST.
968, ,000.0 900 in 1925 to $5,337, ,000, 900 in
1882. But from that point it had in
creased to $8,ll1 100000 in 1885.
Much is made In the report of in
creases in prices of farm commodities
under the New Deal. For example,
wheat which sold at 34.5 cents on
March is. 1888, sold at 901 on De-
cember Is, 1885; corn at 20.6 cents on
March IS, 1888, and at 50 cents on
December Is. 1885; hogs at 1922 per
hundredweight on March Is. 1888, and
at $8.72 on December Is, 1885.
Increases in the prices paid the
farmers" said the report. "are, of
course. the result of various factors
Cncluding the drought) not suscep-
tible to precise measurement. One of
such factors was the program Of crop
adjustment by contract accomplished
by the Agricultural Adjustment Ad-
ministration."
Farm Yields Compared.
How this crop reduction of adjust
ment worked out is set forth by COM
pairing the average crops ~or the 1928
1882 period with the crops for 1888,
1884 and 1885. The wheat crop In the
1928-ls32 period averaged 86l 200. 600
bushels. The wheat crop in 1888 was
529, ,000, 900 bushels; in 1884, 497, 7,000,-
600. bushels. and In 1885, co., ,000, 600
bushels.
Here are statistics which may well
be used to encourage the farmers of
the country to support the New Deal
in the general election next November.
What the New Deal has done for Ia
Dor and industry is set forth in much
detail. The report said: From the
low point of the depression early in
1888 the value of production increased
rapidly and was accompanied by re-
employment and an increase In ma
tional income. The progress Of recov-
cry in manufacturing is indicated in
table which shows that volume Of out
put Of basic products was only half
as large in 1882 as in 1929. while the
number of factory employees was about
40 per cent smaller and pay rolls about
60 per cent less.
For the first II months Of 1885,
after two and one-half years Of i'm
proyement in industrial activity, the
volume of manufacturing was about
so per cent larger than in the early
part Of 1888, and was some IS per cent
below the level of 1929.
Gain in Factory Jobs Noted.
''rhe number of factory employees,
which had not been reduced to as low
level as production in 1888, had also
increased and in 1885 was about 20
per cent below the 1929 level. Factory
pay rolls in 1885 increased by about
so per cent, but were still IS per cent
below 1929"
The national recovery act, the report
asserts. resulted in lifting sharply
the hourly wages in manufacturing in
the first few months Of the N. r. A.
code operation. The increase was
from an average Of a cents an hour
to So cents"
The establishment of a National
Labor Board in August, 1888, the re-
port showed, resulted in the adjust,
ment of many labor difficulties. -
Dealing with the fiscal affairs Of the
Government, the report pointed out
that the interest rate on the public
debt of the United States averaged
3.42 per cent on March 81, 1888. On
November 30., 1885, the average inter.
est rate was 2.57 per cent. The saving
In interest charges In the Government
on account of this reduction Of inter.
est was estimated at $242, ,721, ,981, de-
spite the fact that the actual annual
interest charge increased from $719.-
225,9 on March 81, 1888, to $780,
247,867 on November 80, 1885.
Debt Up Seven Billions.
The interest-bearing public debt on
March 81, 1888, was $20,99l. GAG, $40
and on November 80. 1885, it had in.
creased to $28, ,482, ,013, 100, an increase
of $7,490,372, $40. The report gave a
total Of 529,574.043 of guaranteed
liabilities in the Reconstruction Fl,
nance Corp, Federal Farm Mortgage
Corp, and Home Owners Loan Corp.
The New Deal program, as it related
to private fiscal affairs, the report
asserted, had been Of great aid. For
example, commercial failures increased
enormously from 1929 to 1882. when
they involved total of $500, 1891 900.