The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1937-02-01

SlONal nat 10 DrlIlR Tic Olu =
There is widespread de
the act.
Farmers everywhere are telling
AAA onicials that Soil Conserva-
ton Is too mild, that they want
to be controlled. But they VIII get
no drastic regulation.
Congress intends to amend the
act. The house agriculture COM
mittee win hold hearings in a few
days. Administrator Tolley will
probably testify that a new and
better plan Of control is needed.
Farm leaders will appear and de-
clare that farmers are impatient
Of legalistic barriers. ~
But the stark fact remains that
the hand Of the supreme court still
blocks the. AAA. More than a year
has passed since the Hoosac Mills
decision, but the forbidding hand
Is still there. No magic escape has
been found.
Crop Insurance
Whenever Henry Wallace is
asked what he intended TO do about
the AAA and the supreme court,
he grins and says: "Our lawyers
are working ON IT,"
But when the hearings are
held, the lawyers will produce no
legerdemain.
Most probable proposal Is the
old one Of, Reserve Storage"
This is the same thing, in princi-
pie, as crop insurance. or WAL
lace's "ever-norma granary."
1t means acquisition by the gov
eminent Of excess stocks, TO be
kept in storage until time OF
scarcity, when the stocks will be
returned to the farmer or sold to
him at current prices.
Machinery for this plan will be
cumbersome and slow.motion. II
undertaken, 1t will be tried at
first with a single crop-probably
wheat.
Meantime, with the Hoosac
Mills decision still on the books,
there Is not the slightest chance to
return to the original AAA. There
will be no real revision Of the
present AAA until q season, Of de-
vastaing surpluses stirs up heat
for genuine steam-roller action.
Considerable
Alfred P. Sloan,s midnight press
conference, at which he an.
nounced another breakdown in the
auto strike negotiations, was a
rigorous ordeal. Washington news
men subjected the dapper General
Motors head to a bare-knuckle
grilling.
Sloan took the pummeling good
naturedly, but finally he re-
marked:
"Well, gentlemen, I've told you
everything ! know. Suppose you
tell me what you think"
"Huh," snorted a reporter,
I'D hate TO tell you what
think"
Sloan joined in the roar Of
laughter.
NOTE:-Later, Sloan discussed
this press conference with the
General Motors publicity agent,
and said: what makes those
Washington newspapermen SO
tough? The boys in Detroit don't
treat us that way"
Last Mohican
The last Of the Mohicans has
nothing on DR.. Sol Barkin--the
last man on the MIRA payroll.
When he departs-as he will In a
few days, the once. all-powerful
agency will be just memory.
Barkin came to the MIRA at It's
peak in 1888 when General Hugh
8. johnson was q, household name
and the Blue Eagle screamed from
every store window. An assistant
director Of the labor advisory
board, the young economist ne
gotiated the labor sections Of sew
eral hundred important codes.
After the supreme court invali-
dated the Recovery Act and the
MIRA became a research agency,
Barkin was retained to study the
labor phases of the NRA. He has
been at work on this ever since.
His report was completed re-
Gently and will soon be sent to
the President, after which Barkin
will close his desk and Silently
steal away"-the last Of the most
colorful and gigantic experiment
Of the New Deal.
Foreign Congressman
The present congress has nine
teen foreign born members, two
In the senate and seventeen In
the house. This is larger num-
Der than In the last Congress.
Germany was the birthplace Of
three members; Canada, Ireland,
and Austria, two each; ten other
countries, one each.
The Dean Of the house, Adolph
j. SABBATH Of Illinois, was born In
Czechoslovagkia. One Of the rock
les of the house, John Toussaint
Bernard of Minnesota, comes from
the Island of Corsica, birthplace
Of Napoleon.
The two foreign born senators
are Robert F. Wagner OF New
York, born In Germany; and
James E. Murray of Montana,
morn In Canada.
Here is the roll call Of the
others: