Evening star., 1936-01-17
The Economy of Plenty.


Herbert Hoover ranged himself on the
side of the economy of plenty and
against the New Deal economy of scarcity
In his Lincoln. Nebraska, address last
night. 1t seems incredible that the farm
erS of the country-When they have
fully examined the situation created by
the New Deal-will not do the same.
The former President has presented to
the country an analysis of what the New
Deal has been doing to the American
farmer. 1t is an analysis which the
farmer himself will do well to consider.
Taking the year 1932-Which has been
described by the New Dealers, including
President Roosevelt as period IN Whlcn
cit could not be worse"-Mr. Hoover
compared the American farm market
situation with that of 1895. From that
worst year" said Mr.. Hoover, exports
of cotton have decreased 4,25O,OOO oaleS,
our grain. 93000,000 bushels; our animal
products bv 50OO00,000 pounds. This Is
estimated to be the product OF ABOUT
2OO0O,O0O acres" Giving the other SIDE
of the picture Mr.. Hoover said that our
ing 1885 there has been imported into
the United States about 100000, 900 BUSH
els of grain, 700,OOOoOO pounds OF ami
NAL products. and the increase IN I'M
norts of vegetable oils has been another
7Oo,0OO,00O pounds. 1t would taKe' MI
Hoover asserted another 15,0OOOOO acres
to produce these imports.
To halt the production OF 5o'oooooo
fertile acres of land sis not progress
Mr.. Hoover declared. Nor is 1t. AS tne
former President correctly pointed out
civilization has progressed only through
the production of more and more OF
varied things He admitted that the
problem of distribution had not yet been
solved, but added: I'm this plan OF
scarcity we are surrenderlng the very
foundations of human hope"
The former President did not seek to
minimize the farm problem. He admitted
II. He suggested another road of ap-
proach than the A. A. A. with its process
ing taxes. He proposed in effect the
stimulation of production through Gov
ernment subsidy, of crops that are par
ticularly needed or of commodities that
are now imported in large quantities.
He proposed to retire submarginal lands
on which people cannot make a living
and at the same time to retard new
be used to supply needs. The New Deal
has paradoxically continued with new
reclamation projects while it has at
the same time been spending money to
retire submarginal lands. Mr.. Hoover
would further encourage cooperative
marketing by the farmers in order to
prevent gluts in the flow to markets, ana
further improve the farm credit ma
chinery of the country.
All of these things can be done, as
Mr.. Hoover said, without violating the
provisions of the Constitution, without
coercion of the farmers and without set
ting up system that in the end leads
to collectivism and RECOMMENDATION. The
American farmer must have fair play
He must be in position to take his share
OF wealth and happiness with the indus
trialist The two must progress together.
Mr.. Hoovers complaint was that the
New Deal has retarded the advancement
of both, has compelled the poor to pay
taxes on the food and clothing they buy
and has increased the cost of the mate
rials which the farmer must purchase.
The subsidies which Mr. Hoover would
have the Government pay to farmers
under his proposals would be handled
not through swarm Of political
appointees of the Federal Government,
but through the land grant colleges. He
described the Federal agents as new
and great group of "middlemen," living
of the system set up under the A. A. A.
The burden which is being forced on
the farmer through the New Deal spend
ing program, which Mr.. Hoover estimated
would in the end increase the public debt
by $4,000 100000, is inescapable. 1t is,
in fact, the gradual realization of what
this burden means to them and to the
entire Nation which is responsible for
turning the agriculturalists more and
more against the New Deal. Blessed
are the young" said Mr.. Hoover, with
biting sarcasm, "for they shall inherit
the national debt
The economy which Mr., Hoover
preached is the economy which made this
Nation great and prosperous. 1t can do
en- ouoin