Evening star., 1940-03-09
Roosevelt, Wallace
And Farley Broadcast
Talks 10 Farmers
President CoIIed Creates,
Friend in Program on
A. A. A. Anniversary
(Tert on page A-l1.)
BY JOHN C. HENRY.

BY JOHN C. HENRY.
The Nations farmers went back
to work today, well fed from q
series Of so to IS cent dinners in 20
States and bearing words Of plain
political advice from President
Roosevelt, Secretary of Agriculture
Wallace and Postmaster General,
Farley.
Specifically, they probably were
intrigued by the Presidents assur-
ances that 1t is more than ever i'm
portant for the workers Of the land
ito have a government in Washing
ton that is looking out for their An
terests"; by Secretary Wallace's re-
minder that Mr.. Roosevelt is "the
greatest friend the farmer has ever
had in the White House" and by
Mr.. Farley's suggestion that there
be a national holiday called Farmer
Day" just like we have one now
called Labor Day.
Gathered in observance of the
seventh anniversary of the drafting
of the A. A. A. law, the diners heard
their featured speakers by radio
Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Wallace talk
ing from Washington while Mr..
Farley spoke from New York City.
II am happy in the thought that
American farmers have gone part
way along that road to economic
and social justice even though they
have not reached the goal" Mr..
Roosevelt said.
II am happy in the thought that
American farmers understand full
well that other great groups, such
as industrial and retail groups in
the cities, great and small; such as
the small businessmen of the Ma
ton, have not yet attained the goal
Of social and economic justice even
though in these seven years they
have made undisputed progress to-
ward it."
Emphasizing Importance to farm
ers of government aware of their
best interests, Mr.. Roosevelt COM
pared such government pointedly
with one "uttering glittering gen.
eralities."
AS Postmaster General, Mr.. Far
ley, also Democratic National Com
mittee chairman, said he knew that
something has been happening out
on the farms since 1888"
Il would judge from the increase
in the farmers mail and especially
the number of parcels received by
farmers, that they have more money
10 spend than they used to have.
Says Cities Should Be Interested.
And so I am not surprised when
Secretary Wallace tells me that cash
farm income for the Nation as a
whole has increased from $4, TOO. 900. :
600 in 1882 to $500 900 900 in 1889
almost double what it was"
Because of the close relationship
between farm prosperity and city
prosperity, Mr.. Farley said, "the
cities have every reason to support
an effective farm program. He
added:
Il myself have felt that the farm
program is in the long time inter-
ests Of the cities themselves, and
/ have done what could to spread
an understanding of that fact
among my city friends, in Congress
and elsewhere"
One reason the farm program has
commanded such nearly universal
support" he said, was that ''its ad-
ministration has been kept out of
politics"
Mr.. Wallace, during his speech,
declared:
For seven years you have been
cooperating in an unprecedented
effort. You are the men who have
been fighting steadily for justice to
agriculture ever since 1921. It has
been hard work. Every struggle for
human rights is hard.
Farmers Greatest Friend.
Some of you were born Repub-
licans-some of You were born Dem
ocrats-and some of you are inde-
pendents. Some Of you voted for
La Toilette in 1924 and some of you
went down the line for Lowden in
1873 and then turned to AL Smith
Nearly all Of you joined together in
1882 and 1896 to support the greatest
friend the farmer has ever had in
the White House, Franklin D. Roose-
velt. We do not yet have full agri-
cultural justice, but we are much
closer to it than We would have been
without Roosevelt"
Although billed as non-partisan
affairs, the Midwest chapters OF
the American Farm Bureau Fedora
ton were advised by their organiza-