Evening star., 1936-07-08

half billion dol
lars fol conServ- -,
ing the soil. The ' "e
Republicans promise two bounties-
the first to be for conserving the soil,
just as do their opponents, and the
second as compensation on export
able crops that are permitted to drop
In price low enough to stimulate such
exports. This is really an export
bounty.
2. The New Deal calls for assist
ance within Federal authority to ena-
BILE farmers to adjust and balance pro-
duction with demand at fair profit
to consumers" This really involves
production control Notwithstanding
the Supreme Court decision on the
A. A. A. The Republicans, on the
other hand. denounce the A. A. A. as
restrictive and coercive program.
Favors No Restrictions.
Basically the Republicans claim
they are for abundance and no re-
strictions on production, while the
New Dealers insist they favor "the
production of all the market will abb
sorb, both at home and abroad, plus
reserve supply sufficient to insure
fair prices to consumers"
Now, as the New Deal platform is
phrased, some governmental authority
must determine what is the limit of
domestic production and production
for export in order that there may
be no unreasonable surplus. This
means, of course, production control
and limitation of output, though just
how this is to be accomplished re-
mains in doubt. AS long as there is
drought-and there seems to be some
more drought this year-the question
of limiting production does not have
to be resolved. Then whenever there
Is a surplus the New Deal, if continued
in power, could easily contend that
the surplus is just part of the lever
normal granary'' plan.
The Republicans, on the other hand,
are fully aware of the Importance of
preventing excessive overproduction,
too. While insisting that they wish
W ScS pLOOOSILOll
nevertheless promise to separate the
domestically consumed crop from the
export so that the domestic crop gets
q higher price by means of the pay
ment of reasonable benefits"
Payments Are Limited.
In other words, by fixing the amount
Nf ctr 1f
crop is really fixed and the payments
are limited ito the production level of
the family-type farm" AS for ex-
ports, the Republicans do not say ex-
actly how they are going to guard
against overproduction for export but
1t is assumed that the world price level
will take care of that. Also the Re-
publicans say in their platform that
they will furnish Government assist
ance in disposing Of surpluses in for
eign trade by bargaining for foreign
markets selectively by countries both
Is to exports and imports"
At first glance this would seem to be
hardly dissimilar from the New Deal
program of reciprocal trade agree
ments negotiated by Secretary Hull
But in the very next plan the Repub-
iicans call for the repeal of the pres
ent reciprocal trade agreements on
the ground that these are destructive
to the farmer
So it is difficult to tell how the Re-
publicans are going to enable farmers
to produce in abundance if there is
no clear program for disposing of sur
pluses abroad and also it is difficult
to tell how the New Deal is going to
limit production without running afoul
of the Supreme Court which says Fed
eral funds cannot be used directly to
effect production control
The answer some day may be the
formation of co-operatives with gov
ernmental encouragement and aid and
with suspension of antitrust laws
In so far as these co-operatives are con-
cerned. In that way, that is by the
payment of benefits to co-operatives
or by arrangements for the preferen-
tial treatment of co-operatives, the
Republican and New Deal detectives
might be attained
Good Deal Of Hypocrisy.
Reading the vague planks of both
platforms, however, the disinterested
observer is forced to the conclusion
that there is a good deal of hypocrisy
in the farm planks Of both major
parties and if there were no presiden-
tial election on this year the farm
problem would be tackled in far diff
ferent form by those in a position Of
responsibility. To sum up:
There is agreement by both party
planks on the importance Of taking
poor land out Of use. This has been
advocated by the Republicans TO- a
long time.
Both parties want to keep out COM
peting imports and yet both want to
adjust the tariffs to increase foreign
trade. Both parties want to subsidize
agriculture, though the Republicans
speak of it as an emergency meas
ure" while the New Deal looks upon
1t as a permanent policy.
The farm vote will turn on the abil-
ity of the stump speakers to translate
the meaning Of the farm planks into
concrete benefits or injuries in partic-
ular localities as the political situation
therein may demand. ~
Copyright. 1850