The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-02-17
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
THE NEW FARM BILL

ne new farm Dill passed ny cohSIcSo ID 'i''-
petused by the urge to "do something for the
farmer"
And it does something for him.
1t puts him under the yoke of federal regimen
tatOn.
1t enslaves him to bureaucracy. It deprives HIM
of his accustomed liberties 1t tells him how much
of his own land he can plant in designated crops.
And to degree, it prescrbes what he can not do
with the acreage which his government does not
allow him to plant in specified crops.
The bill also does something for the federal gov
eminent.
1t increases its absoutsms-grim enemy of de-
moeraey.
1t enlarges its totaltarian troubles.
1t augments its dctatorial powers
And, consequently of course, the bill commits
the federal government to an indefinite and UMPIRE
dictabe volume of loans and losses" as The New
York Times puts it.
Wheat corn, cotton. tobacco and rice farmers
are supposed, en- masse, to be for this measure.
But the National Grange, one of the largest and
most powerful of the agricultural organizations is
opposed to it, and became very militant in its OPP
position.
There is no assurance that the experts of the
Department of Agriculture are fooshy enthusi-
astie about it, Many of them hold their breath IN
contemplating what it may involve
No doubt, many members of congress who voted
for it never read the bin, and skeptical of its
results
But they thought it expedient at any rate, to
do something for the farmer" Lots of congress
sional contests come off this year
Besides national election will be bobbng up in
1870 1t is important for parties md for candidates
to "do something for the farm,
In principle, the measure gives to the federal
government authority to control crops.
1t is noteworthy however, that by this proce-
dure the government may not control crops at all.
The bill merely gives Washington the right to re-
strict acreage.
And restricted acreage is in sense the equiva-
lent Of restricted production.
We have repeated that statement so frequently
that it has by this time become trivia, and yet the
fact of the statement is fundamental and unchal
lengeable.'
The federal government may tell cotton farm
er that if he planted Is acres to cotton last year.
he can plant only ten this year if he wants to
share in its subsidies.
But that in wise, guarantees that this same
farmer will not produce much cotton on the 10
as he did on the 15 and reap the largess of the
government to boot.
new feature of the bill consists in making
government loans mandatory instead of discretion
ary
If wheat, corn and cotton farmers produce in
excess of normal" demand, or if the price of
fered for such productions is less than agreed
upon percentage of the 1909-1914 purchasing pow
err, the loans are obligatory upon the government.
These loans are to be not less than 81 and not
more than rs per cent of the "party" thus estab-
lished.
The federal government is therefore, commit
ting itself to lending spree of indefinite and in
calculable range. 1t pitches itself in the dark in
going into this business on this scale.
1t is obvious that, whatever may be the many
defects in its procedures and Recommendations the
bill is assaiable for the assumption from which it
proceeds.
That assumption is that our agricultural troubles
in the nation arise solely from production.
This newspaper has never admitted the validity
of that claim.
On the other hand, we have insisted, and repeat
that the main issue is in getting these productions
consumed The difficulty is, therefore, largely one
of consumption.
The new farm BILL which in many essentials is
simply the old AAA bill recast and refurnlshed
fails even to recognize this point-Charotte OBJ
Servcn'