The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-08-11

.5 l N told in three wordS-too rnv
 FIRST, the President passed the buck to Secretary Henry wal lace. That clear thinking but tirnid idealist then passed it 10 the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. They passed 1t to the old-line farm leaders, and they, in turn, passed 1t right back, and the riln-around start- ed all over again.
 That in nut-shelI is the whole story. Actually, the Presi- dent has wanted new crop con- trOl legislation ever since the Supreme Court axed the AAA. From time to time last winter and spring he dropped remarks to that effect. But whereas he did not hesitate to send specific bills to Congress on court re- organization, he was strangely hcsitant on the farm question.
 Meanwhile Wallace has wobbied all over the lot. On one occasion several months ago, he even opined that perhaps it might not be so bad to have bumper crop and a big surplus after the four years of drouth and restricted production.
 If Wallace had bestirred him. self and made a real fight there would be a farm bill before con- gress today. That much is cer- tain.
 His failure to be. aggressive played squarely into (1) the hands of the old-line farm leaders, and (2) anti -NewDeal democrats who control the House and Senate Ag- riculture Committees. Particu- larly it played into the hands of Cotton Ed'' Smith, chairman of the senate committee.
 Secret Foes
 Both groups privately have ' strong dislike for crop control and unless forced. will do everything they can to sidestep it. Also, the general economic situation seemed to play into their hands. -
 Business was booming. employ ment was on the - upgrade and there was steady increase in the demand for farm products. With prices high and bumper crops in prospect, they saw visions of g big killing. So for seven months they sat like bumps on a log do- ing nothing - except to avow their, passionate devotion to the farmer and pass the buck.
 Then, last week, the price of cotton suddenly tumblcd. Over. night the boys were barring their breasts on the barricadeS roaring for the President to rescue "the little cotton grow er"-and, of course, their own political hides by directing the Commodity Credit Corpora ton to make Recent pound loans on cotton; in other words. to peg the price at that figure.
 Tn the forefront of the clam orers was Cotton Ed". In the first four months of the session, the South Carolinian was absent from Washington practically the entire time. But several weeks ago, hearing the first murmurs over failure to enact farm legislation, he hurriedly cooked up a scheme for an Agriculture Committee junket about the country during the fall to study the problem.
 The government, of course, was to pay the expense of Cotton Eds sightseeing.
 Plain Talk
 In addition to planning this junket. Smith also accompanied 8 cotton bloc delegation to the White House to urge the Recent loan plan on Roosevelt. The lat- ter talked cold turkey.
 "You gentlemen" he said, look ing squarely at Cotton Ed", have been here more than seven months. You haven't done Q thing to help the farmer. Now with the price of cotton teeter- ing you come to me and cry for help. .'.
 T will not permit the lending of public money unless | am perfectly satisfied that the money will be repaid. There can be no assurance of that unless next years cotton production Is limited. That means that the
 necessary legislation must be passed before next spring. You can pass . farm bill now, you can pass it this fall at 3 special session. or you can pledge that
 itc will be done next January. But 1t has got to be done."
 Smith chewed his cud and said nothing. Neither did the others.
 Several hours later, on the sem ate floor, Cotton Ed" indignantly stormed against the petition cir- culated by Senator Hugo Black, Alabama New Dealer, calling for a special session in October to enact a farm bill.
 "It is hardly fair to the farm.
 CTS to do this thing" he com.