Evening star., 1937-12-07

farmer as an inducement to enter into
contracts with the Secretary, contracts
binding the farmer to do what the
Secretary prescribes. The promises Of
payments are bait to induce the farm
er to accept quotas and otherwise put
himself under the power of the Secre-
tary of Agriculture.
The bill is so written as in effect
to compel the farmer to enter into
these contracts, for if he does not, a
penalty is put upon him. The penalty
is in the. form of forbidding him to
sell the excess over his quota in mar
ket, and fining him if he does sell
the excess.
The Powerful Unless"
So, the farmer is in effect compelled
to enter into the contract. Now he
is hooked. Then what happens to
him? I quote from the pending bill,
section 81 (h):
mo payment shall be made with re-
spect to any farm pursuant to the pro-
visions of this act and of sections to
II of the Soil Conservation and Do
meStic Allotment Act, as amended,
with respect to cotton, wheat, corn,
tobacco and rice unless, where the
area of crop land on the farm per-
mits, and it is otherwise feasible, prac-
ticable and suitable, in accordance
with regulations prescribed by the
Secretary, there is grown on such farm
~
sufficient to meet home consumption
requirements"
That section is complex. Read it
a second time. Mark the word ''un-
less" and what follows Even after a
second reading it may not be fully
clear, for understanding of it depends
on familiarity with the rest Of the
bill and with other A. A. A. laws al
ready on the books. This section of
the bill escaped scrutiny in the Sen
ate debate for a week. until Senator
Austin of Vermont called attention to
what it means. In Senator Austin's
words:
This unless clause is absolute:
He 1.-THE farmerl must. to the extent
OF his living on the farm, which means
his family and his hired help. and to
the extent OF feeding all of his herds
OF whatever kind, raise such other
things than corn, wheat, cotton and
rice as the man in Washington, to
whom this power is grained, shall tell
him by regulation he shall raise"
With this Interpretation Senator
Borah agrees. I quote from Mr..
Borah's speech in the Senate:
IF farmer fails to produce on his
farm sufficient for home consumption
under the rules and regulations pre-
scribed by the department at Wash
ington as to what is necessary for
home consumption and what he should
produce-whether cabbages, artichokes
| or potatoes and in what amount, If
he fails to conform to the Secretary S
| regulations all favors are with
| drawn from him under this proposed
| act"
Arbitrary Authority Enters.
Imagine the scene. A Government
inspector enters upon the farm. He
has sole discretion, arbitrary authority
He exercises Judgment upon what "the
crop land permits" upon what i,
feasible, practicable and suitable" HI
asks the farmer if he raised food and
feed crops sufficient to meet home con-
sumption" If not, why not? He need
not accept the farmers answers. In.
deed, being a Government agent, he
cannot. He must have proofs, for he
must report to his superiors. He must
see the farmers books. He can ask
neighboring farmers and neighborine
dealers if the farmer bought any "fooc
and feed crops" Did the farmer bu,
any corn? Why did he buy it?-h.
could have raised it on his own farm
Why didn't he raise beans for hi.
family? Why didn't he raise cab.