Imperial Valley press., 1936-10-15
The Republican Viewpoint
EDITED BY
The Republican County Central
Committee st5

During the past three years the great body of
farmers in the United States have looked with
bewilderng eyes on the eccentrcities of the agri-
cultural program planned and put into effect by
the New Deal.
This statement is made with respect to the dirt
farmers who make their livhood from the SOIL
and not the agricultural theorists in Washington
who have undertaken not only to advise the farm
industry OF the nation what tod o in an economic
crisis, but to dictate to farmers what they must
ard shall Go.
1t may be that Franklin D Roosevelt is not
personally and directly responsible for the evils
which Eavt befallen agriculture in the period of
his administration as president Of the United
StateS. Fer though he is owner of many broad
acres al his estate at Hyde Park. New York and
engages H. fancy livestock raising, this is and
always has been with him gentlemanly avoca-
tion and not means of gaining a lvlihood.
The considered opinion of pratical farmers who
make then living from farming is that no man
can advise farmers-much less dictate to them
unless Ee knows a good deal about farming and
farm problems.
But Mr.. Roosevelt, nevertheless. must face the
responsibility of the breakdown in agriculture
as result Of his administration What he is
blamed for by farmers of California and most
other states is the type of men he has placed
divisional heads of his department of agriculture.
These men, it is apparent. have no more practical
knowledge of farming than their chief in the
White House.
Let us look at some figures. Mr. Roosevelt's
department of agriculture reports than in 1885
there were 23000000 pounds of butter. 100000
pounds of dried, matted and condensed milk and
49.0O0O00 pounds Of cheeSe imported into the
United States, and these could have we'll been
produced in America.
During the same year there were imported into
this country the equivalent of 100000 cases of fresh
eggs, and we used to have plenty of hens to pro-
duce our eggs.
Yet what was happening in the United States
during that year under the New Dearregime. The
Rural Settlement Administration loaned thousands
OF farmers money to buy baby chickset TO start the
poultry business and were promised sufficient
funds to feed them until they had reached pro-
duction. Similar loans and promises were made in
all other lines of agriculture. us3
Thousands of persons bought chicks with the
borrowed money and upon the assurance that
their needs would be taken care of until their
flocks got on a paying basis. But suddenly and
without warning the New Dealers withdrew all
the funds from California when they considered
that the state was sure for Roosevelt This left
the "rehabilitated' poultrymen and other farmers
without any credit standing, unable to borrow at
the banks to buy feed or mature their crops.
Deserted by the New Deal they were left to face
bankruptcy. Some of them are ofaAEelief today.
Imports o. agricultural products last year spelled
tremendous losses to American farmers. Reduc-
ton in the tariff and the New Deal philosophy
of scarcity, which took 100000 acres of pro-
ductive farm land out of normal cultivation, are
responsible for the huge imports Of 1885 and the
heavy increase in 1886.
It follows that under the Roosevelt dctatorial
.ariff and scarcity plan, foreign producers have
reaped huge benefits and our own producers have
suffered tremendous losses The Roosevelt admin
istration has cost American farmers to date 81
900 000000.