The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-10-13


doubtedly represent the substance of
the instructions given to Secretary of
Agriculture Wallace when the cries
and groans of the suffering American
farmers reached Washington. Of
course, Mr.. Roosevelt must have been
surprised when he learned that prices
of major farm productst were lower
than in 1888, for he repeatedly had
told the farmers that everything was
all right because 1--WE are planning it
that way-don't let anybody tell you
differently" And of course, Mr.. Roose-
welt would not deliberately mislead
anyone.
But it is not surprising that we
should surmise that Mr.. Roosevelt's
first thought was to give the farmer
another shot in the arm, for that is
the way the New Deal has worked.
So Doc Wallace grabbed his black bag
and set forth for the wheat and corn
States, again, to tell the farmers how
the New Deal had saved them-that
is, ali, uhmmm uhmmm-that is
would save them. Meanwhile, DR.. Key
Pittman, who does not think Doc Wal
lace is so hot, got out his own hypo-
dermic needle and proposed that the
farm patients in the cotton States be
given a little shot of imitation mar
cotics.
But every time the corn and wheat
farmers and the cotton planters looked
at the current price quotations, they
let out another yell of protest. Not
even New Deal drugs proved very
soothing. Doc Wallace found himself
proposing remedies which a few
months ago he had denounced as
quackery. DR.. Pittman was heard NUT
tering such words as "hopelessness
of present program" absolute fail
ure," great loss to the government"
and continuing destruction of foreign
markets for American cotton"
Not Funny For Farmers
All of this would be very funny
were it not for the tragic plight into
which the New Deal has cast Ameri-
can agriculture. 1t is not funny in the
slightest degree because what hap
pened to farm prices vitality and d.
rectly affects almost one-half our pop
ulation and indirectly presses down
on the remainder of US. 1t is certainly
not funny for the farmers who had
been led to believe that their troubles
had been solved.
Hehe we are, after five years of New
Deal hypodermic needles, with farm
prices lower than when the schemes
for crop control were placed in effect
with prices for the New Deal period
far below the previous period from
1921 to 1882. For instance, the annual
average price of wheat from 1921 to
1932-and this includes the bottom Of
the worldwide Representatives, S1.Ol7
a bushel. The average annual price
from 1888 to 1937-the period OF ex-
perimental control-was 85.5 cents a
bushel, or 16 per cent less. When the
1888 average price can be computed
the difference will be much greater
because wheat is now selling down
around 60 cents bushel. In the last
year the price of wheat has fallen ap-
proximately so per cent.
Here we are, after five years OF New
Deal wisdom and crop restriction, with
a cotton carry-over of 13,4OO,OO0
bales-7,O00,O of which are under
government loans Here we are with
cotton selling at around eight cents
a pound as compared with II cents IN
July last year and an average Of 1871
cents during the 1922 period
which again includes the worst period
of the worldwide depression.
And, here we are again, plowlng
under cotton-destroyin cotton when
millions need clothing-in order to
comply with the provisions OF non
sensical futile farm program. MI
Roosevelt in 1885 Indignantly de-
clared that sit is high time for you
and me to make clear that we are not
blowing under cotton this year-that
we did not pillow it under in 1884 ana
that we only plowed some Of it under
in 1888 because the Agricultural al
iustment Act was passed after a huge
crop of cotton was already in the
ground" Mr.. Roosevelt asserted that
anyone who said anything to the
contrary was %ying."
Is This A Lie?
Maybe so, but witness this story
which appeared under an Atlanta ua''
date line on September last:
thousands of acres Of cotton, much
of it white with open bolls, ready Tor
picking, are being plowed under by
Southern farmers eager to qualify Tor
farm bill benefits and to escape us
penalties.