Imperial Valley press., 1936-08-13
News Behind the News
Farmers Worry Administration
Boost In Imports Resented Vest
VeerS ToUdrd LandOH

WASHINGTON The administration is
rously worried by the extent to which farmers
are resenting the increase, under the New Deal
Of agricultural imports!
Evidence that some Of the large western
farm states are veering toward Landon is at
tributed in large part to Republican success
in publicizing recent statistics Six months
ago It was commonly believed that benefit pay
mentS and higher farm prices would deliver
nearly all these states to Roosevelt.
Officials are meeting in secret huddles to
determine the best way of convincing the
farmer that the import figures merely an
indication of his increased prosperity and not
of a dabolical plot to encompass his ruin
through planned scarcity"
AAA men insist they have a good argument
but that it's difficult to translate into an
emotional appeal.
The present drouth makes the imports ques-
ton important aside from its political aspects
since it seems bound to result in further in
crease of purchases Of farm products abroad.
although the import curve this year has been
generally downward.
What bites the farmers is that competitive
agricultural imports increased from value of
S296000 900 in 1882 to S623, 100000 in 1895 (this
includes about so millions in alcoholic bever-
ages) cattle imports from $4,000 head in 1884
to $4,000 in 1885; canned beef from 1885 900
pounds in 1881 to 76,2 900 in 1885; wheat from
5000 bushels in 1892 to 27439 600 in 1885, corn
from 10000 bushels in 1888 to 900 in 1885;
and butter from l0l4,000 pounds in 1882 to
%, 2,675,0 600 in 1885.
Many farmers feel that these and other
considerable quantities of imported food should
have been raised and bought in the United
States. They are being told that it is all
direct result of planned scarcity"
The New Deal is in no position to say that
its agricultural adjustment programs had moth
ing to do with the reductions in food supplies
which preceded the big rises in imports except
it may point out that there were no curtail-
ment programs for such commodities cattle,
dairy products, and eggs.
OF the droD IN Wnaat prOduction in the 1894
35 crop year from normal, about 310 million
bushels is attributed to drouth and 54 millions
TO acreage reduction.
In corn the proportions were 1,003 100000
bushels below normal as a result Of drouth
and 1S2oo0,00O because of the AAA.
On the other hand imports in most cases
are lower in quantity than in various pre-de-
preston years. AS against $4,000 imported
head of cattle in 1885, about 1000 head were
imported in 1928.
Not so much butter has been imported as
in 1895 since 1923 and wheat and corn imports
have reached new highs. But competitive agr-
cultural imports were valued at SLOT 100000 in
1929 against 1923 900 900 in 1895.
Imports always rise when American prices
high and decline when They're low Higher
consumer purchasing power also stimulates i'm
ports and, more important to the farmer, farm
imports and farm income tend to rise together.
This seems an age of self-abnegation
An Ontario man sues himself for, $4,000
Mussolini fires three duces, and Farley
is frowning at the postmaster general.
Life insurance company reveals there
is little danger of being killed by light
ming" Now We'll probably hear our 10
golfer pal tell of his "a game.
An Ohio health expert suggests that
people who suffer from the heat take
a pinch of salt, advice which any pers-
piring cynic will take with a pinch of
salt.
Five Texas prisoners escaped, using
pistol" made of soap. Other of the
criminal element hire lawyers to soft
soap their way out of jail.
If the five-year-old's borrowing pro-
clivities are typical of his generation, it
is the one following with which Repub
licans should sympathize.
ty.
1t is up to Imperial Valley to see that
4 +o1 60 .l1r