Evening star., 1936-08-09
Knox's Opening Speech Meeting of Indiana Republicans


fellows who got the big benefits. Sen
ator Vandenberg finally forced the
Administration to give out the figures
on this matter, and the figures are
interesting.
A New York bank received N cash
the sum of $782 900 for not growing
sugar in Porto Rico. I submit that
in the history Of the world there has
never been so idiotic an economic
transaction. Under a law supposed
to aid distressed farmers a rich city
bank Is paid nearly a million dollars
for not growing sugar in West Indies
island, while We are importing sugar
over a tariff wall from another West
Indies island, not part Of the United
States.
Was it not Will Rogers who said,
'If the A. A. A. makes sense, then I
am q Chinaman." One corporation
owned by foreigners got a check for
$4,000 for not planting cotton.
Seven hundred rich farm corporations
or rich farm owners got checks averag.
ing $4,000 apiece. Thirty-nine mill
lionaire corporations in Hawaii got
$34l 900 apiece. And 81 In every SIS
went to the administrators. It takes
lots Of money and lots OF administra-
tors to tell farmers how much not to
raise.
Foreign Markets Only Part
OF Loss Under A. A. A.
All the evidence indicates that our
farmers actually lost money by the
whole transaction. They lost their
foreign markets. They lost a part Of
their home markets to foreigners. The
increase in prices OF their products
plus the cash payments did not make
up for their losses In total sales. When
farmer figures 1t out. he will dis
cover that the cash he got was taken
out Of his own pocket. The wheat
farmer. was taxed on his cotton shirt,
the cotton farmer on his bread. The
administration did not put an A. A.
A. on cattle. They did not put an A.
A. A. on eggs. They figured that 1t
was easier to regiment an American
farmer than it was to regiment an
American hen. And the cattle busi-
ness and the egg business Of the farm
ers have done just as well as the reg
imented crops.
AS for the rest Of the country, the
A. A. A. has been a total loss, not
only loss in cash, but a loss in food
and clothes, a loss In living. loss in
business and loss in prosperity. In
1884 an outraged Nature punished us
with drought and food Of compet-
ing farm products began to pour into
the country. What do you think Of a
government that is paying farmers to
destroy food while o vast volume Of
wheat comes in from outside the coun-
try? And once again Nature Is pun
ishing us with calamitous drought.
Failure TO Reduce Relief
Rolls Laid on New Deal.
The first responsibility OF the pres
ent administration was to promote re-
covery and unemployment. The sec
ond responsibility was TO organize q
scientific and economical and COM
plete plan of relief. 1t was no time
for experiments. 1t was no time for
reforms. The administration failed in
this al-important Job. It failed to
put the unemployed back to work. Re-
coyery began in 1882. We should have
been entirely out Of the woods by this
time. We are not. Unemployment Is
almost what it was in the Winter of
1888. I have explained this failure.
The N. r. A. restricted production. in
creased costs and prevented re-em-
ployment. The A. A. A. reduced pro-
duction. increased prices, increased i'm
ports. reduced exports and reduced
employment. The relief program
poured out uncounted millions, bu,
only for temporary relief.
These conditions IN turn led the ad-
ministration to an endless squandering
Of public money, with one huge an
nual deficit after another. The pres
ent Government has been spending
money at the rate of 5000 every sec
ond Of every minute of every hour Of
CfCAy 4dy ukA0 44ASAN 4OA OAhCC dA4A
one-haf years. At the present time
the total net debt of the Federal Gov
ernment is somewhere between $751;
600. 100000 and $4,000. 100000. The
administration has not been able tc
figure out Just how much 1t owes
and does not care much, for whatever
sum they arrive at it will be another
billion or so in few weeks. But the
country cares. Money does not grow
on trees. This debt is load Of $26(
on the back of every person in the
country.
This debt will not be paid by the
rich. 1t will be paid by the masses o1
the people, by the great American
! population. 1t will be paid by tht
poor in lower wages and higher cost Of