The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-01-30
E.O. LOWDEN GIVES PLAN
CURE FARM PROBLEMS
Would Have Government Make
Grants to States to be Admin
istered Through Colleges

A proposal looking toward perma-
nent farm program within the frame
work of the constitution has been ad-
vanced by one of the nations ranking
agricultural authorities-Frank o.
Lowden, Oregon.
The elder statesman of the Republi-
can party-insisting "the time has
come to take the question out Of poll
tics"-voiced his views in an exclusive
interview with the Associated Press on
the eve of his 18th birthday. His ad-
vice on the subject has been widely
sought. But he consistently withheld
any statement until the AAA litiga-
ton was settled.
States Would Pay Farmers
Under his plan, the federal govern
ment would make grants to the states.
The states, in turn, would pay bounties
to farmers for removing rs to 80 per-
cent of their acreage from production.
The retired land would be planted
to some legume and thus saved from
the effects of overcropping and erosion
which is steadily undermining Ameri-
cas- basic industry, the undertaking
would be administered by the stats of
the state agricultural colleges.
Lodwen asserted it would bridge the
current problem, establish an enduring
system, meet constitutional tests, re-
duce burdensome SURPRISES, curtail
waste and destruction of soil, safe
guarding the American living STAN
dard, insure the future of urban and
rural residents alike and assure COM
ing generations adequate food at rea-
sonable prices.
Similar To Rejected Bill
In it's soil conservation aspects, the
program correspondent generally to the
bill recently rejected by the Senate ag-
ricultural committee. But Lowden's
plan differs in administrative provis-
ions. Under the Washington plan, the
AAA personnel would have been the
administrators. Under the Lowden pro-
posal, the federal government would
see the money it allotted was properly
expended, but actual administration
would be vested in state agricultural
college stats.
He envisioned this state-federal CO.
operation as the factor which would
allay the unconstitutional suspicious"
aroused in some quarters by the Wash
ington measure.
Lowden, former governor Of Illinois
and twice member of congress, law
yer and dirt farmer since the day of
the hand plow-based his suggestion
on long study and experience.
Cites RuinOus Erosion
He pointed to the erosion that pre-
coded the ruin of once prosperous ma
tons. He warned unless steps were TAX
en- to keep the soil from being over
cropped or washed away, the United
States in so years would raise food
and fibre only for iteslf at "prohibi-
tive prices"
Lowden cited estimations that 3d.
5OO,OO0,OO0 worth of fertility is car
ried down the Mississippi river alone
each year. He quoted Director H. H.
Bennett of the federal soil erosion SER
vice as stating rs percent of the ma
TONS cultivated land suffered erosion
in some degree. He said statistics in
dicated 100000 acres have been des-
troyed by erosion, 125,OOO,0OO have
been largely stripped of productive top
soil and that within the next 30 or rs
years at least 1OO,OOO,OOO additional
acres would become Severely i'm
poverished." This compares with $780,
100000 acres under cultivation now.