Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1938-05-26
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National Topics Interpreted "a S51IE1S
by William Bruekart T7TYFTHIR
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visional AAA director and one OF
the really close advisors to Score
tary Wallace. Said Mr.. Wickard:
Complaints have come against
the corn allotments as high as LOO
from one county"
Obviously there could nCx be that
many complaints from more than
a limited number of counties. But
even If there are only half that num-
Der of protests from any considera-
BILE number of counties, the repre-
sentativeS and senators who voted
for that legislation are bound to get
plenty of kicks in the pants next
November. And the plight of those
members of the house and senate
appears to be made worse by the
statement attributed to the Depart
ment of Agriculture by Represent
ative Andersen of Minnesota. Ap-
parently, Mr.. Andersen had been
getting baskets full of kicks about
the acreage allotments and went to
the department to find out the facts.
He returned to tell his colleagues on
the floor of the house:
"The administration (AAA) will
not yield an inch. The allotments
have been made according to law
and the farmers can take them or
leave them"
In that statement, it seems to me,
there is unbounded arrogance and
Mr.. Andersen did the country a
service when he repeated it to the
house of representatives. It is an
attitude of the dictator, of the worst
sort of RECOMMENDATION and it bears
out the very thing which Senator
Borah of Idaho predicted would hap
pen when he opposed the Legislation.
Senator Borah's blast in the debate
was, of course, branded as the criti-
cism of Republican, and it was
his colleague, Senator Pope, the Ida
no New Dealer. who was running
about the country last year as the
chief member of a committee of
senators which was drumming up
sentiment for the legislation before
the extra session of congress called
40OL ANONCIIlOCI.
By way of prediction, / think there
can be no doubt that the wheat
farmers will find themselves
shocked, instead of their wheat,
when they get their acreage allot-
ments later. They will find that the
law is compulsory, not one of free
cooperation as advertised when the
bill was being debated in congress.
What is the reason for these con-
ditions? Why is there rebellion
VIZ, :, among the farm
Why the ers when. accord
Rebellion? ing to Secretary
Wallace, there
was a great majority for applica-
ton of the crop control provisions?
Frankly, believe there are sew
eral factors to be considered as hav-
ing Influenced the passage and SUBJ
sequent application of the compul-
sorry RECOMMENDATION.
In the first instance, it is quite
apparent now that many represent
atives and senators were subjected
to red hot steam from professional
farm lobbyists, from Secretary WAL
lace and his lobbyists and from the
minority Of farmers who wanted
something, anything, that would
cause the government to pay them
money. That belief is predicated
upon knowledge that the vast ma
jority of the farmers are too busy
with their own affairs to be active
in politics. The legislators thought
they were doing what the farmers
wanted them to do.
In the second place, there surely
was much misrepresentation about
the legislation. At all times and
on all occasions, Secretary Wallace
and those who were seeking to put
over the legislation vigorously
stressed the statement that the pro-
visions of the plan were voluntary.
There was to be no compulsion in
it; the farmers themselves were to
decide; the department here in
Washington would do exactly what
the farmers wanted. ALI Of which is
very well and good, except that
the farmers were not informed how
much pressure could be exerted to
make them volunteer. They either
had to volunteer" or find they
could market none of their product
without being penalized.
What is the result going to be?
Congress soon will be quitting for
the year, and there is no likelihood
of any amendment that will alter the
situation-unless something inter-
venes to keep congress in session
far into the summer months. The
only thing to look forward to, then.
is the result of the fall elections.
If the revolt that is represented by
the protests of the cotton and corn
farmers is widespread, it will show
up N the votes at election time.
Those who fought so hard for it in
congress will meet trouble in pri-
maries and in the election as well.
To me, however, there is an added
significance. These protests reveal
a Or0mino capfiy,oopf ov.onr e..