The Washington times., 1937-01-23
WALLACE ASKS
u. s. FIGHT0 ON
EROSION

escribed as generations of
thoughtlesS exploitation Of Amer
ica's farm soil, Secretary of Agri-
culture, Henry A. Wallace, today
hurled a challenge to the 48 States
to assist in curing the problem.
Addressing more than 400 State
officials from all parts of the
country, gathered at the Hotel
Mayflower for the third general
assembly of the Council of State
Governments, Wallace declared
that erosion, worn out agricultural
land and the dire poverty of mil
lions Of farm families are con-
ditionS which the States must
face comparatively.
At the same time, Wallace ex-
planned the Government has a
share of the responsibility. He de-
Scribed the various methods, such
as the rehabilitation program, Of
the Resettlement Administration,
by which the Roosevelt Admins
tration is leading the country in
a campaign for better utilization
Of land.
National Problem
Stating that soil is our greatest
national resource" he asserted
that its exploitation can never be
stopped by legislation alone, but
must be curbed gradually through
educational and financial aid to
starving tenant farmers and those
attempting to wrest living from
Sub-marginal land. He said:
'It has frequently been said
that the mass of poor farmers
in the United States do not have
the necessary energy or intelli-
gence ever to manage their own
affairs. OF course there are
such people. We have found
them in our rural rehabilita-
tiOn program. The problem of
how to handle them SatiSfac-
tOrially remains to be solved.
"But our experience with sew
eral hundred thousand families
reveals that this is by no means
the whole story. Very often we
have found that families con-
Sidered to be mo account" were
in reality suffering from pei
lagra or some other disease,
and that after they had OBJ
tained some medical care and
learned how to provide better
diet for themselves, their native
human energy and intelligence
began to function again."
His listeners, obviously i'm,
pressed, then heard Wallace de-
tail the conditions facing their
respective local government. He
said:
you have heard that fifty
million acres of once fertile
farm land has been practically
ruined for agriculture by erO-
sion. You may know that there
are some hundred million ad-
ditiOnal acres of land in farms
which, on the basis of expert
judgment, are considered un-
suited to growing crops. You
undoubtedly are aware that the
destruction of the grass, the
forests, and the tOpSOil on our
land has placed millions of
acres in public ownership for
failure to pay taxes"
Wallace sought further to drive
home the Importance Of farm
prosperity to general economic
well-being by declaring:
"Several million poverty
stricken rural families are r
tremendous potential consuming
public. A million farm families
of the United States have an av-
erage total income Of less than
$4OO q year. A half million fam
lilies live on land too poor to
warrant continued cultivation.
"Such facts are inconsistent
with . national goal Of economic
demOcracy-a goal that implies
the greatest possible distribu-
tiOn Of income, as means 20
supporting purchasing power. A
possibility of developing this
great untouched field of con-
SumerS is one of great concern
to industry"
Wallace told the governors, at
torney generals and other State
officials that their local governors
must aid in curing these condi-
tioNS by means Of appropriate
legislation, including laws by
which farm tenants may become
owners and submarginal land be
removed from use.
Another speaker on the todays
program was Frederic A. Delano,
chairman Of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission,
who said that most national re-
sources, especially those capable
of replacement, can we'll be con-
served through cooperation be-
tween State planning boards and
the National Resources Com
mittee of the council.
Tonight the delegates will at
tend an informal dinner and hear
Gov. George H. Earle, of Penn
sylVania. Meetings will end to-
morrow afternoon.