The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-10-28

help wondering what the verdict Of
history is going to be, say SO years
in the future, concerning the pres
ent secretary of agriculture, Mr..
Henry A. Wallace. From current
perspective, it appears that Mr..
Wallace can get out on more limbs
way out on them--than any man
who ever has helped bungle govern
mental policies. He seems to have
a penchant for jumping from fry
ing pan into the fire, as we see the
thing as of today.
This capacity for jumping here
and there has placed the head of
the department of agriculture out on
another limb. This time, as has
been announced, Mr.. Wallace is CIV
ing serious consideration to a pro-
gram that seems certain to create
a new mess. Having made what ap-
pears to be a terrifcally bad job
at least that is what tens of thou
sands of farmers think-of efforts to
rehabilitate the agriculture indus
try, Mr.. Wallace is now proposing
to enter the consumers field.
He and his ,UindoU boz former
aides are seriously considering es-
tablishment of a ttUo-price system
in this country. That is, they are
proposing that agricultural sur.
pluses should be sold to Ordinary
consumers at one price and that
the same commodities should be
sold to '.lo,Uer income" persons at
Io,Uer price. The federal govern
ment would make up the differ
ence ,Uhere losses occur in the sale
of farm products to the lo,Uer in.
come groups, swallowing that loss
as subsidy disguised under the
fine words maintaining a sound
market for american producers"
Opens the Road to More
Graft and Corruption
The thing is, so cock-eyed that it
seems strange it would be given a
serious thought anywhere. It opens
the road to more graft and corrup-
ton than can be measured, more
governmental pressure and regi-
mentation of people, more vote buy
ing. But my objection goes deeper.
] object, and think the plan ought
to be laughed out of the window, be-
cause it is proposing to destroy the
very reasons for establishment of
the United States as free nation.
Everyone knows that the earliest
settlers fled England because of the
oppression resulting from the class
system. Other reasons expanded the
desire for freedom, but fundamen-
tally the motivating force that
brought colonists to American
shores was the class system and the
damages done to the lower classes
and untitled persons. The current
thought, advanced by Mr.. Wallace,
will create class distinction in this
country-and no one can tell where
that will lead.
I suspect this new limb on to
which Mr.. Wallace and his crew
have climbed sprouted from the fail
ure of some of the other visionary
schemes tried by the professional
farm planners. It is unnecessary
for me to recount the numerous
plans that brought, first, the search
ty plan for raising prices; that
brought, next, such sweet refrains
as ''the more abundant life" and
that brought various and sundry de-
ightful outlooks. Rain clouds blew
up, however, and the schemes that
were to solve the farm problems
were like the letters in a leaky mail
box after a downpour. But always
there were checks, government
checks, and I never would blame
anyone for taking them. I believe
surely, however, that 1t was only
the existence of those checks that
kept the farmers from moving en-
masse upon the beautiful grounds Of
the department Of agriculture, de-
manding fair treatment.
Formers Raise Voices as
Schemes ProUe Unworkable