Evening star., 1939-06-13

the most strategic and sound posi-
ton. He has given Uncle Sam little
or no financial trouble. He stands
on a somewhat different footing
from that of the cotton and wheat
farmer because of the export factors
which influence cotton and wheat
prices.
From the corn farmer we move
over into the dairy district. Prob
ably at no time in the history of
legislation has the dairy farmer
been given such special attention as
during the present session of the
Congress. In the appropriation of
Sl13, 900 600 to be added to the money
received under section 30 Of the Agri-
cultural Adjustment Act the dairy
farmer will receive some $4,000 900
for domestic consumption This
amount will be used in keeping sur
plus butter and other auxiliary pro-
ducts from directly affecting a Iv-
able price TOR the dairy farmer. At
the same Time this surplus will be
used by the Government to provide
many of the necessities of life for
those on relief. In other words,
here is a two-edged sword that
vitally affects the general welfare
of many people.
The real relief for the dairy
farmer in the future, however, does
not lie in subsidies but in legisla-
tive action which will give him a
better price for his milk in the milk
shed. Today the dairy farmer in
Northern Illinois receives from 20
4 cents per quart while the con-
sumer in Cook County pays at his
kitchen door the sum of IL cents.
This is an unwalrantable spread.
Too much money Is being paid for
cooling, pasteurizins. and distribu-
ting this vital commodity. The
producer and consumer both suffer.
Evidence before the Committee on
Agriculture of the Senate discloses
that the distributor in the City of
Chicago gets as much per quart for
distribution as the dairy farmer.
with all his cows, his standardized
equipment, as well as his long hours
of labor, gets for producing it.
Wherever such a condition exists
economic justice is being thwarted,
and it is subject which should be
investigated with a view to giving
relief to the dairy farmer.
Fund Has Definite Aim.
Yes, the Congress made this ap-
preparation of $4,000, 900 primarily
to take care of the dairy farmer.
the cotton farmer, the fruit and
vegetable farmer, the hog raiser and
other agricultural producers who
are in distress. And as a result
thereof we find all over this land
much idle talk and irresponsible
comment about the American farmer
raiding the Federal Treasury. We
appropriate billions for relief, bill
lions for national defense, millions
upon millions for various other pur-
poses with little or no comment as
to where we are going to get the
money.
My friends, the farmer wants only
equality before the law. He en-
phatically says a tariff for all or a
tariff for none so long as his pur-
chasing power is out of line with
other industry. Give the farmer
parity price for his produce, and he
will gladly relinquish all his right
in benefit payments. The farmer is
not looking for handouts. He
suffers irritation and displeasure at
being told that benefit payments
are putting him on the dole when he
knows that last year out of every
500 received by him in farm income
$3.50 was taken from the soil with
his own hard labor and industry
and only $6.40 came to him from
Uncle Sam.
The farmer also knows what the
future has in store for him with
respect to the $225, ,OO0, 900 appro-
priation made by the Congress for
parity payments. He knows what