The Washington times., 1938-09-20

Farm organization naSCeT
minds are harmonizing again
with Mr.. Wallace's men upon a
new version of the old McAdoo-
Eicher arbitrary price-fixing bill.
Some rough spots" of the old
measure (the rewriters are call
ing them that are being elm
mated but the biggest and
roughest spot will remain. This
is the key spot directing the
Secretary Of Agriculture to pro-
claim prices for non-perishahle
farm products on a basis of cost
of production-including taxes,
interest and a management sal
ary to the farmer.
Only one important change in
existing law may be included IN
the new measure. Restrictions
on acreage will probably be
eliminated.
Two things might prevent
its presentation at the coming
session (A) war (Which would
bring sterner price-fixing in
stead) and OBJ if existing farm
price levels can be lacked up to
last years level (Which seems
impossible).
WHEN that Minnesota farmer
w caught RooseVelt'S car in a
mudhole and asked what was
to be done for the farmer, the
Presidents answer was an ex-
pansively indefinite phrase:
everything possible"
What everything possible" Is
going to mean between now and
election day is specifically this
according to the best possible
un-namable sources):
Active purchases to the limit
through Commodity Credit
Corp. $50 far they have bought
100 million pounds Of butter
through the coops with RFC
loans. They will buy is million
pounds more, spending in all
$33,175,000 on butter alone0
Lend 80 cents a bushel (pos-
sibly ultimately SO cents) on
corn. Promote a wheat dumping
export subsidy from which they
do not expect much price reac-
ton. Promote cotton loans.
Pump out 212 million dollars
under the spend-lend bill for
benefit payments.
That this Everything posi-
BILE" may not prove to be enough
to guarantee the election results
in farm States is what is worry
ing Mr.. Roosevelt, Mr.. Wallace
and not in the least, General
Farley.
This situation has superseded
the South as the administra-
tion's No. political problem.
A1OTE-Political blame for
~ existing law is already being
showed back upon the American
Farm Bureau Federation by
talking Administration politicoS.
AFBF did have more to do with
originating the legislation than
anyone else. Farmers Union
and National Grange are having
bigger hand in writing the new
one.
THE Wallace wheat dumping
l. plan is not expected to
shake the world, because there
is no place to dump. Original
idea was to give foreign nations
a taste of their own export
subsidy underselling medicine
and thus force world wheat
agreement. Trouble is prospec-
tive customers have already
made arrangement with the
Argentine, Australia or Canada,
or else claim they are self-suS-
tanning Cmeaning they cannot
pay.
EARM predicament would seem
l. to suggest an immediate
prediction session of Congress
(to change loan rates, enact
processing taxes for bigger bene-
fit payments or adopt price
fixing. However, no official
has been heard to mention the
idea. 1t would involve a con-
fession of error; possibly re-
calcitrance from Congressman
who are out campaigning. On
the other hand, Roosevelt would
have more control over this Con-
gress than the next one, and it
would be just the kind OF a
daring move the President likes.
DEFEATED Senator McAdoo
~ is being mentioned often for
the ambaSsadorShip to Mexico,
but does not want it. Estate
Department feels first step
necessary toward settling Mexi-
can mess is to get a new am
bassador. White House is reluc-
tant, due to Roosevelt's old Navy
intimacy with Josephus DanlelsO
x
FLrERS have made their invi-
IA tation list for speakers at
their annual convention (Hous-
ton, october 81. 1t will be an
nounced in a few days. None
will read it with more interest
than Administration officials
who have not been invited, nota-
bly, Labor Secretary Perkins,
and members of the National
Labor Relations Board, Miss
Perkins was omitted last year
also.
only New Deal official to get
an invitation this year is
A1o4Loo ctro11c the hOuSer who