The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-02-28

and logical question
NeD Farm is, what does 1t
Relief LdU an? A parallel
question is, what will
it do? And, among the cold and nom
partisan analysts Of the Washington
field one also hears a third question,
namely, is the sponsorship of any of
the numerous farm plans, Republican
or Democratic, sincere?
Congress- for the sake of its political
hide, is anxious to do right by agricul-
ture. 1t is attempting to supplant the
invalidated Agricultural Adjustment
act with a law about which its indi-
vidual campaigning members can talk,
to which they can point with pride.
But there are other and unofficial
farm plans bobbing up here, there and
everywhere. 1t seems to be the open
season for proposals to aid agriculture.
Few, if any, of them are grounded
completely in sound practice. Each Of
them ought to be conceded commenda-
tion for some of the provisions they
include. None of them, including that
which is backed by the New Dealers,
is going to completely solve the farm
problem because we are going to have
the farm problem with us for next year
and the next and good many years
thereafter whether we like 1t or not.
The tragedy of the current situation
is that the farm relief plans, taken
individually or collectively, constitute
l was going to say mess and on Sec
ond thought believe that is the most
appropriate word that can be used.
Throughout the administrations pro-
posal for aid to agriculture and per-
meating every other proposal that has
been put forward, whether by states
men or panacea promoters, one can find
splendid collection of detectives that
cancel each other mean exactly that.
Recognizing the breadth of the state
ment I have just made, evidence seems
to be necessary. Let us look at these
various plans, or certainly at the one
that is scheduled to take the place of
AAA.
First. the administration proposes to
take something like five hundred mil
lion dollars each year
Purpose from taxpayers in
IL q. K one form or another
to use for benefit
payments to farmers. 1t proposes to
use these funds to save the SOIL to
prevent further carrying away of pro-
ductive elements in our soil by con-
tinued cropping. New Dealers describe
the purpose as prevention of erosion.
With that purpose, it seems to me
there can be no quarrel. Ever since
the successive portions of our country
were settled and the forest coverings
removed, soil has been subject to
erosion by rain, by flood and by wind.
The Department of Agriculture says
that the top soil of probably fifty mil
lion acres has been destroyed in that
manner. 1t would seem, then, that it
was high time our government was
finding ways to stop it.
Admitting the soundness Of this
phase of the program, one then must
ten into law but results from 1t. II
the fertility of soil is improved, is it
not natural then that there should be
an increase in production? And If
there is an increase in production. is it
not logical further that we may find
ourselves developing a huge surplus
of commodities from the farmland
with no foreign market? The answer
obviously Is, yes.
So, we find these two circumstances
in the administration farm bill, pro-
posed, even driven, by that group of
New Dealers who, until few months
ago, were declaring here, there and
everywhere that to maintain price we
must have scarcity of production. That
theory was basic in the AAA and was
carried out to the furthest by Secre-
tory Wallace and Administrator Ches-
ter Davis.
know of no one with superintelli-
gence sufficient to enable him to pic
tnre the result of this combination
nor have l heard any argument that
was convincing to me, reconciling the
previous policy under AAA with that
now projected in the new farm relief
plan.
There seems to be no doubt among
students of the farm problem that a
subsidy. whether by
Must ray that name or some
BENEFITS trick phrase, for ag-
riculture cannot be
avoided. Some way, somehow, money
is going to be taken out of the fed
eral treasury to pay bentits, subsidies,
to the farm population. do not know
whether anyone can predict where such
a policy will lead as long-term na-
tional program. Political figures seem
to be content with temporary solu-
ton, something to get farm votes In