Evening star., 1937-05-18

ployed on 100000 acres. Besides all
of this, 30,OOO,0OO acres of land were
diverted from Soil-depleting crops to
soil conserving crops or practices. Yet
we are told that the farmers are sim
ply being paid for what they would
do anyway. The achievements of this
program for agriculture and the Ma
ton are the best answer to the obiec-
tons raised by opponents OF agricul-
: ture.
Much Still to Be Done.
We have accomplished a great deal
in our efforts to restore national in
come. Much remains to be done. The
farmers share in national income for
many years was about 13 per cent.
Today 1t Is only l012 per cent. Our
farmers are not demanding more than
their fair share Of the Nations In
come. They urge such measures as
will help to restore prosperity to the
entire population, and they will be
content If they again receive the in
adequate and disproportionate share
VI 10 pei SSllI VI IllC lldIlOIlhl
income
Just as in the Triple A act, pro-
visions have been made to equalize
prices and prevent their rising above
the pre-war level thus protecting
both the farmer and the consumer.
have no doubt that an occasional
payment has gone to few gentleman
farmers, who may have been well able
to afford soil conservation methods
in the past But I do not see that
such happenstance Is a good rea-
son for junking the whole farm pro-
gram. I believe that 100 years ago
arguments we're made that money
should not be spent to establish a
public school system. It was said
that country gentlemen, with ample
funds Of their own to pay for the edu
cation OF their sons and daughters,
could have their offspring educated
at public expense. The chance that
they could shift the expense of edu-
cation to the public was said to prove
that public school systems should not
be established. But the overwhelm-
ing majority Of the people regarded
the general usefulness OF a public
school system as vastly more impor-
tant than the fact that it might help
a few country gentlemen who didn't
really need to be helped In State
after State, public school systems were
established. The sons OF the country
gentlemen rubbed elbows with the
other children, to the benefit of all
1t is my opinion that in spite of its
gratuitous assistance to few gen.
tleman farmers, the overwhelming
majority Of the people will demand
the continuance Of the soil conserva-
ton program because 1t serves so we'll
the broad interests Of the United
States.
Farm Markets Amputated.
As fair-minded people Of the coun-
try think it over and detect the
sources Of the opposition to the
farmers program, believe they will
be more and more astounded. It IS
strange, but it is true, that the same
forces which compelled the farmers
to turn to their Government for help
are now leading the drive to take this
help away. These forces backed the
policy of persistent discrimination
against agriculture which was pur-
sued for II years prior to 1888. 1t
was this discrimination which made
the agricultural adjustment program
almost inevitable The Smoot- Hawley
tariff act OF 1880, which these same
forces backed, amputated the farm
ers' markets. This uncomfortable
legislation invited retaliatory tariffs
abroad and threw back upon our
shores the agricultural surpluses which
the farmers produced for those lost
export markets.
This is the day of mass production
and corporate power. Great corpo-
rations, extending over many States,
sell their products and their securi-
ties throughout the Nation, and en-
ploy tens OF thousands Of men and
women under central direction. Some
Of the monopolies flourish behind the
horse-high and hog-tight tariffs
erected under the Smoot- -Hawley law.
Not a few corporations have the
right and the ability to expand and
to contract production at will. Dur
ing the depression many Of them
reduced their employment and main
tanned their price levels, while wage
levels and the price Of agricultural
products went crashing down.
But do these proponents Of Smoot-