The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-03-03

Washington, March 1.-The Farm
Surplus Control bill in the form in
which it was finally enacted proves
to be more to the liking of Secre-
tary Wallace than he and his friends
had expected before the two hous-
es of Congress finally agreed on the
compromise measure. The bill as
enacted, however, does not please
some of the leaders in Congress
who have been foremost in advo-
eating legislation for the benefit of
the farmer.
The two Senators who are re-
garded here as having the clearest
view of the agricultural situation
and the farmerf needs are Senator
Borah of Idaho and Senator Nc
Nary of Oregon. While both are
normally Republicans, neither is a
hide-bound party man and in many
situations each has been friendly
to New Deal measures. As re-
suit, they are both regarded by
their colleagues as holding the mid
die ground of common cense be-
tween the moss-backed conserva-
tive point of view and extreme rad
icaliSm.
Borah; McNary, Snub Farm Bill
1t is considered noteworthy,
therefore, that neither Borah nor
McNary voted for the compromise
farm bill They figured that the
law will turn out to be unpopular
with the general run of average
farmers, in that it imposes lot of
new regulations but does not inn
mediately give them any more
money than they are getting now.
That the new law is designated to
benefit the large "one-crop" farm
ers at the expense of general farm
ers raising diver,ifed crops is a
criticism widely made, and one
which is reflected in the fact that
the Representative from Kansas
divided in their support of the bill.
Three members fom Western Kan
sag voted for it. Their section OF
the state grows wheat and nothing
else to speak of. The our members
from Eastern Kansas, however,
where general farming is the rule,
voted against the bill. Those vote
reflect a widespread belief that
while the new law may satisfy farm
ers growing large acreages of cash
crops it will not be so well liked by
small farmers in general, as it sub
iects them to restrictions and regu-
lations without giving them bene-
fits to compensate.
Bill Puts Bottom in Farm Prices
The effect of the law is expected
to be to put bottom under the
price, of few principal staple crops
bv system of Government loans.
1t is expected that wheat will new
er 90 below so cents bushel, corn
below As cents and cotton below 8Hs
certs.
The present SCI conservation law,
which took the place of the old A.
A. A, has not proved as effective as
was expected in keeping farm pro-
duction down. Under it farmers
have been receiving about 500 mil
lion dollars year to improve their
soil and restrict their planted acre
age, but the increased fertility re-
sulting from the soil conservation
program has resulted In larger
crops, more than offsetting the re-
duction in acreage.
The new law authorizes the De-
partment of Agriculture to limit the
acreage planted and then prohibit
marketing in excess of individual
and state quotas prescribed by the
Federal Government. Farmers will
first receive an acreage quota, but
If unusually good weather condl-
tons result in 1arger-than-average
crops, then they will be subject to
marketing quotas.
Crop Quotas Subject to 2-3 Vote
Secretary Wallace IS authorized
under the new measure to proclaim
marketing quotas on corn when es-
Inmates indicates supplies will ex-
coed point equaling 2700, 000, 900
bushels; on wheat at 100000, 900
bushels; on cotton at 1880, 600
bales, and on tobacco and rice at
comparable surplus level
Farmers vote on the quotas after
they are proclaimed, and they do
not 90 into effect if more than one
third of the producers voting ex-
press their opposition. If they are
put into effect, marketing in ex-
cess of the quotas can be punished
by fines of Is cents bushel on corn
and wheat; and 2 and 8 cents a