Evening star., 1940-04-07

Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act for
Government insurance Of farm tenant
mortgages up to a total of $3.50 900, 900.
This measure was introduced by Senator
Lee OF Oklahoma and Representative
Jones OF Texas, chairman of the House
Committee on Agriculture. It passed
the Senate last July, was reported ia
vorably by the House Agriculture Com.
mittee on February rs.
Farm Credit Bill.
Still another outstanding resolution,
not yet acted upon, is the farm credit
bill OF 1910, which was submitted Jointly
by Senators Wheeler, Bankhead Ind La
Fd bite. 1t provides for a revolutionary
ovefhauling Of the Federal Land Bank
System, the inadequacy of which is at
last acknowledged after trial of Is
years. In cooperation with Chairman
Jones, Representative Pierce, Democrat,
OF Oregon, is adding final touches to q
bill for putting into effect what is prob
ably the pet project of Secretary Of Agri-
culture Wallace. 1t would supplant par.
ity payments with scheme of marketing
certificates.
Such are the significant legislative
proposals now under consideration. Ac-
tion on most of them is possible before
Congress adjourns. Among the hun
dreds of others are many of the "cracx-
pot variety, according to Department
OF Agriculture spokesmen. There are
suggestions of downright gifts to agri-
culture amounting to billions of dollars.
recommendations abound that a rigid
order of price-fixing be instituted on
behalf OF the farmer; although, in such
regime, the Government would be
compelled either to police literally mil
lions of transactions, or else take over
from private hands the complete bust.
ness OF buying and selling farm products.
In view of the New Deals colossal ben.
efactions to agriculture, past and pros
pective, critics of the Roosevelt admin.
istration, in and out of Congress, have
exclaimed that its entire farm program
has been an abject failure; and that the
measures now pending embody desperate
approaches to soft credit" State land.
lordism, naturalization of crop lands and
socialization of the farm mortgage bust.
ness.
Delinquencies Cited.
Champions OF the administration ges-
ture inIreply to the year 1932-an era Of
Scent cotton, 3kcent wheat, 19-cent
corn and Scent hogs. Then, it Is re-
called. the farmer 5 tDtal net cash income
was $4,35s 900 600, entahipg the pathetic
figure OF $40 yearfor each farm person.
That income has been doubled, they as
sert, to $500 O0O, 600. Not only have in
terest rates been lowered, but farm mort.
cages have been reduced by 81, ,0O0, 900 900.
If parity today is only 81 per cent, it
averaged 81 per cent for five principal
commodities eight years ago.
They assert that the soil conservation
program, now covering 80 per cent Of the
Nations crop lands, was introduced in
the nick of time to save the farmer from
irretrievable disaster. During the 20 lean
years preceding 1888, 1t is declared, agri-
culture was able to preserve its existence
only by mining" the country's soil capi-
tai, with the result that one fourth of its
entire top soil had been destroyed by de-
pietion and erosion.
Despite these successes, Secretary Wal
lace and Chairman Jones proceed to
draw grim and gloomy picture Of pres
ent agricultural conditions. The Euro
pean war has hurt rather than helped
the farmer, they argue. Exports of air
craft engines and parts rose 40 per cent
in January, 1910, over January, 1889;
while; exports of wheat and -four, fell 73
per cent. Fruits, tobacco and cotton
have been hard hit.
1T is one of the fatalities of agricul-
ture," says Mr.. Wallace, that any drop
IN prices causes an intensiflcation of farm
production. On the other hand, low
prices lead to prompt and large de-
crease of industrial manufacture" The
Secretary estimates that a further in
crease of $500, ,oOO, 900 year would be
needed to balance farm income with that
of other groups. If the farmers prices
on January Is were 80 per cent of those
in the prewar period, he said, the cost Of
the things he buys has risen to 12s per
cent,