Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-03-08
3PO|NT SOLUTION
CITED BY WALLACE
Speaker in Forum Outlines
Benefits Of Farm Act
to Nation.


Henry A. Wallace, Secretary of Agri-
culture. last night in the National
Radio Forum arranged by TIE Wash
ington Star and broadcast nationally
BY the National Broadcasting Co.:
Tonight I want to talk about the
new farm act and its meaning for
farm and city people.
In the next few minutes I want to
make very clear to every one three
points:
First. the new Agricultural Adjust
ment Act provides for a simple and
straightforward farm program.
Next, the act provides for a farm
program, Of abundance. It lays the
basis for workable ever normal
granary, and In this way means better
living for farm people and for city
people.
Finally. the new act applies the
principles Of democracy directly to
the most serious problems that
farmers have to face. Democracy and
abundance are the strong team that
the new farm bill is hitched to. It
tries in practical ways to bring bal
anced abundance to the people. Con-
gress has every reason to be proud
Of this work.
Simpler Than Old A. A. A.
The new act has been called COM
plicated, but actually it is just as
simple as, and perhaps simpler than.
the old Adjustment Act. In the
farming communities it will be carried
out by county and community COM
mittees Of farmers. just like the old
act was. believe that within month
most Of the county committees will
understand very well how the new
act applies In their own communities.
The chief reason it sounds complicated
Is that Congress decided to write into
law many details that used to be
covered by general provisions. Not
perhaps in legal language, but GER
tainly in terms of action. this act
In its main outlines is simple and
clear.
You who are listening you
live in the city or on the farm-want
to know what those outlines are. Let
me tell briefly about them.
First Of all, the new act continues
and strengthens the work of the Triple
A on soil conservation. Farmers every
where in the United States may take
part in the program regardless of what
crop they grow. So we may think of
one part of the act as making soil con-
servation an important and enduring
framework for the whole program.
Then there is another part of the
act. This part makes available certain
supplemental measures for the produce
ers Of five commodities listed in the
act. These commodities are corn,
wheat. cotton. tobacco and rice. Let
me enumerate three Of the supple
mental measures. First. national
acreage allotments, divided up among
the farms. with acreages big enough
to produce plenty for domestic and
export markets and in addition for
larger than average carry-overs.
Second, storage loans, to put a plank
under prices when threatened by
slump and also to finance farmers in
holding surplus supplies until they are
needed and will bring a living price.
Third, marketing quotas which can be
used when the ever normal granary
overf1ows, provided always the farm
ers are so unitedly in favor that at
least two-thirds of those taking part
In a referendum vote to put the quotas
into effect. These new provisions are
to be dovetailed into the A. A. A. soil
conservation work. All payments are
10 be conditioned on soil conservation.
Simple and Direct.
So there is the new farm act In a
nutshell. You can see for yourselves
that the plan is not "mystifying," not
complicated" and not Confusing" as
you may have read somewhere, but
simple and direct. As matter of fact,
every important farm bill or labor bill
that has been passed or debated by
Congress for the last so years has been
denounced on some grounds or other
either as visionary" as interfering
with business" as "socialistic" or rs
"dictatorial."
Inis new act Is no exception. The
hne now taken IS that it Is "conplex {"
But when making up your mind about
the new act, just ask yourselves frank
y how much truth you now think
tnere really was in such attacks on the
farm bills Of earlier years. All through
the decade Of the EOS those interests
ana individuals who stood asainst anv
Farm program had their way. But the
price Of doing nothing was disaster To
the farmers and to the Nation. Five
years ago the counsel of inaction was
swept aside. This new farm act is thu
result OF experience that the farmers
nave gained during these i've years. It
u their enort to carry on q Nation.
Wloe farm program in the interests If
agriculture and the general welfare
NOW I want to talk about ever nor
mai granary features of the new farm
act. These features seek to build IN
ana maintain from year to year more
abundant supplies of food and feed
Tor live stock. It Is at this point
and I mean the point of mutual in
terest IN maintaining larger reserves
OF food and feed-that the welfare of
farmers becomes most clearly identt-
ned with the welfare Of city people.
Ever since 1888 farmers have been
steadily seeking for the kind of farm
program that would serve them and
serve the Nation, too. This has been
the goal Of the hard work and long
hours spent by the farmer commit
teemen in thousands of counties and
communities. These committeeman
nave been striving to build q strong
and secure foundation for their pro-
gram. The common welfare of farm
ers and consumers IS that foundation.
When farmers in this new farm act
achieved that as the basis of their
program they showed the Nation how
to make progress in solving one of the
hardest problems Of modern times.
Tackles Big Question.
This new act comes to grips with q
big and practical question. That uues-
ton - how to protect both food SUD-