Imperial Valley press., 1936-01-29
News Behind the News
AAA Substitute Repaired
Consumer Protection Sought ;.
Thumbs Turned Dorm -.

WASHINGTON-The farm organization lob
byistS and the administration have produced
substitute program for the AAA-whlch already
is undergoing repair Once again the consum-
er is conspicuous absentee.
Secretary Wallace wanted some provision for
consumer protection in the new soil conserva-
tion-domestic allotment act through which it
is hoped to control production and pay BENEFITS
to farmers. The administration, from both
standponts of good politics and public policy,
wanted it.
But the farmer lobbyists turned them down.
apparently unwilling to place any potential
brake on farm prices or on professors and dis
tributors OF food
Many farm leaders really want export sub
sides for surplus crops, which the administra-
tion thinks are deadly poison - an unworkable
scheme for SubSidizing foreign consumers at the
expense of American consumers.
Republicans and Gen. johnson are clamor-
ing in ostensible sympathy. Hence the tossing
overheard of the consumer, lest fight for him
spoil everything.
At the same time there's been appreciation
within administration ranks OF the fact that
city consumers resent the 25 per cent increase
in retail food prices since 1888 and blame it on
a program which they believe has created
scarcity of food.
The AAA was a political liability in other
than farm states and failure to take that fact
costly in the election campaign.
What Wallace wanted in the bill and what
the farmer lobbyists refused to accept was
guarantee to consumers that the program would
not reduce food supplies below normal domestic
requirements.
I'VE want to be sure Wallace recently said
that there will be the same quantity of food
per capita available to the American people
that there was in the twenties"
The bill as introduced leaves the extent OF
crop reduction and amount of food supplies to
executive discretion. Such discretion is notori-
ously susceptible to the influence of pressure
groups-and farm lobbyists have shown them
selves as predatory any other group when
their chance came to force up prices
Officially one is supposed to mention the
soil conservation domestic allotment bill and the
excise law which will be proposed to finance
it in the same breath Just an attempt will
be made to fool the supreme court" into think
ing that the prime purpose of the former is
soil conservation instead of federal regulation
of agriculture, which the court majority has
held unconstitutional, a clumsy effort will be
made to disguise the excise law as general rev.
enue bill-even though most of the money is
to be collected in the same old way and from
the same folks
Everybody will be in on these secrets-ex-
cept the supreme court!
Taxes on professors probably will be higher
than the AAA taxes. Soil conservation" is ex-
pected to be more expensive than agricultural
adjustment
The Treasury scheme as now proposed may
be revised before it sees the light of day. But
in any event the disguised processing taxes will
be an obvious form of sales tax no longer cloth
ed with the promise of agricultural adjustment
for the general welfare Some New Deal lawyers
think that's dangerous opening wedge.