The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1936-02-27
v. f. w. BANQUET
Observations From
Washington
(By Congressman Harold Knutson)
Congress Passes Farm Bill

(By Congressman Harold Knutson)
Congress Passes Farm Bill
Last Friday was a field in the
House for agriculture. The Presi-
dents farm relief bill passed the
House by vote of 267 to 81. The
measure had the approval Of farm
organizations and leaders. I am
not at all sanguine that it will do
much good for the dairy sections
because of the fact that it does not
make mandatory the blowing under
of soil building crops that will be
raised upon the land taken out of
commercial production. Many of us
have the fear that this may stimu-
late dairying in the cotton growing
states, which would be too bad for
us. The Republicans, together with
30 or 40 Democrats, Farmer-Labor-
ties, and Progressives voted to
amend the bill so as to compel all
forage crops grown on such lands
to be plowed under. We also tried
to place a limitation of two thous-
and dollars as the maximum that
any one farmer may receive. 1t
was rumored on the floor of the
House during the consideration of
the measure that one Congressman,
who is a big rancher and farmer in
the Southwest, received something
like S250,0OO under the AAA. This
gentleman voted against the limit
alton, as did 223 other members.
Our efforts were defeated by a
vote of 146 to 224 In passing may
say that the South voted solidly
against both amendments.
Blowing Hot and Cold
The Supreme Courts decision on
the Tennessee Valley Authority
case was a sort of a Scotch verdict
iu that most of the questions in
volved were not touched upon by
the Court, which merely held that
the government already owning
and operating the Wilson Dam,
could sell power therefrom. A num-
Der of those who denounced the
Supreme Court for it's decisions on
the MIRA and AAA have changed
their tune as a result of the last
decision. Some philosopher has said
that man is but grown up boy.
Some surely act like children. If
they can't have their way, they
sulk and refuse to play the game,
but are all smiles when things
come their way.
When Was Zero Hour?
There is some difference of OPP
inion as to when we started to
climb out of the depression. In this
connection an excerpt from a
speech delivered by Congressman
Robson, of Kentucky, on the ad-
ministration's farm bill may prove
of interest. He said, you speak of
1882 as the zero hour of the de-
preston, yet in 1892 this country
exported 100000 more bales of
cotton than it did in 1885; it ex-
ported 100000 more bushels of
wheat in 1882 than it did in 1885;
it exported 53O,0O0,O00 more pounds
of animal products in 1882 than it
did in 1885. The exports of this
country in 1882 greatly exceeded
our exports in 1885. In fact, our
balance of foreign trade in 1885
was less than it has been at any
time in Is years, and I might say
that there was the greatest scar
city of food a year ago that there
has been in this country in 43
years, although, according to a re-
cent statement Of Mr.. Hopkins,
Relief Administrator, we have more
than 100000 people that still
need relief from the Government"
Speaking of importations, there
is one question that have asked
many, many times Of members who
are free traders. 1t is this: What
should we import?" Secretary Wal
lace has had much to say on the
question of importations. He be-
lieves that we should buy more
from other countries and that any
American activity that cannot
compete with foreign countries
should be discontinued. He takes
the position that we should not
produce sugar beets in this coun-
try because they can produce SUI
never heard him say so, he must
also be in favor of disseminating
the production Of eggs in the Unit
ed States because China can pro-
duce eggs cheaper than we can, and
the same is true Of nearly all other
lines of agricultural products, in
GLIDING butter. We cannot begin to
compete with New Zealand in pro-
duction cost of butter because the
New Zealand cows are in kneehigh
clover eleven months Of the year.
This would be some country II we
were to put brother Wallace's
theory into effect. am yet Of the
opinion that we need protection for
the American producer II he Is to
continue in business and that APP
plies to industry as well as agri-
culture.
Mrs. Robert G. Lawson, Of Tulsa.
~ L.