Evening star., 1937-07-13
PRESIDENT URGES
FARM PLAN ACTION
Special Letter Is Sent to
Both Committee Heads Ask
ina "Sympathetic" Study.

President Roosevelt late yesterday
sent a special letter to the chairmen
OF the Senate and House Committee
on Agriculture in which he asked for
sympathetic consideration for the
administrations farm program.
He urged three points: First, con-
tinuation of the present agricultural
conservation program as the founda-
ton of a longtime plan; second, as
surance of abundance for consumers
by storage of substantial reserves Of
food for use in years of crop fail
ure; third, protection Of farm prices
and farm income.
The Presidents appeal was inter-
preted as pressing for action on the
legislation providing for an ever
normal granary, now pending in the
Senate.
Immediate Passage Uncertain.
But immediate passage of the "ever-
normal granary system and broad
crop-control legislation appeared un-
certain today despite the recommen-
dation from the President. Chairman
Jones, Democrat, Of Texas, of the
House Agriculture Committee. said he
agreed with the Presidents views, but
added: I'VE can make no promise
that the program will be enacted at
this session.
Jones said his committee will con-
tinue to work for passage. He empha-
sized, however, success will depend
largely on the length of time Congress
remains in session after the Senate
court debate ends.
The Presidents letter follows, in
part;
"As a Nation we are engaged in
= task of giving stability and In in
Sreasing purchasing power to those
who toll in the factory and on the
farm. It is true that industrial en-
ployment continues to gain and it is
true that with few exceptions crops
are good and prices for farm products
are far above their low levels This
has led some people to say, with 8
certain degree of WEAKNESS let we'll
enough alone; let us defer further
action at this time
instability Is Curse.
industrial work and farm work
include the great majority of all
Americans who toll. In both groups
the curse OF the past has been in
stability-of annual income.
THAT is especially true among the
farmers OF the Nation. Extremes of
farm prices represent the principal
cause of suffering, of bankruptcy and
of lack of purchasing power among
them. There is no benefit to any
farmer if he sells his crops for high
figures one year and the price drops
through the bottom the next year.
I'VE have not solved these problems
OF crop stability yet, though We have
made much progress Warning sig
nails are already in sight. Existing
laws are not adequate to guarantee
future safety.
1T is my philosophy that the time
to repair leaky roof is when the sun
Is shining.
Though the situation at the mo-
ment is excellent, we have no safe
guard even in the year 1898 against
the great danger of loss of income due
to drought or against the equally great
danger of low prices I have ex-
pressed my belief that a program to
guard against both these future dan
gers would be of enormous value not
only to farmers but to the consumers
OF the Nation if it could provide for
an ever-normal granary with storage
OF surpluses grown III big crop years
Tor use in time of short crops. Good
as our present farm program Is, it
ought to be improved to take care of
the consumers interest in years of
bad weather, and of the producers in
terest in years of good weather"