The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-07-31

Frequently these days, particularly
in the cities and in Washington espe-
cially, one hears the most pessimistic
and doleful comments on the probable
future of America-how our democracy
is half gone and our liberties all will
be wiped out by the time this war
emergency is over, how Wen never be
able to pay our debts and will DO bank
rupt, and how the system of free pri-
vate enterprise is all finished regard
less.
I wish that some of these doubling
Thomases could have been with me
the past week, as Mrs. Ball and
trekked around Minnesota from Cal
endonia to st. Cloud to Redwood Falls
and to half dozen other towns.
Meeting and talking with the far
merS and their wives, the merchants
the newspaper men, the business men,
the lawyers and the doctors and their
wives, the clergymen, the school
teachers and the plumbers and the
carpenters, would have been good
medicine for them.
These people are the real America
and anyone who thinks they are 60
ing to be herded into any kind of
totalitarian setup and deprived OF
their liberties simply hasn't seen OF
talked to them. No one knows just
how or in what shape we are going
to come out of this present emergency
but I'll back the men and women OF
America against all troubles, all tasks
and all corners.
They recognize clearly that there
may be some unpleasant times ahead
that at the very least we are all 60
ing to make some sacrifices for de-
Tense. Many of them are still studying
and thinking about the international
picture ad our relationship to it, but
whatever is necessary to defend ano
preserve our democracy and liberty
they will do and do gladly. We may
come out of this emergency with con-
siderable notifications in our econ
omic and perhaps in our political
system. But the American people viii
see to it that we come out of it with
the essential liberties and freedom Of
opportunity and enterprise which are
basic to our American democracy.
When I first accepted this assign.
ment to the Senate, I felt that ar
essential part of the job was to re.
port to and discuss with the people
| as often as duties in Washington per-
mitted, the issues confronting the ma.
ton. Because I was used to express
ing ideas through a typewriter anc
not from a platform, frankly I was 6
little scared of that part of the job
Actually, it has turned out to be
one of the most inspiring experiences
of my life. The opportunity to meet
and get acquainted with hundreds Of
grand people in Minnesota is something
shall cherish always.
When Congress some time ago in
creased the amount which the govern.
ment would loan on wheat to IS pei
cent of parity, it also changed the
penalty on wheat grown on acres In
excess of the individual farmers al
lotment under marketing quotas from
Is cents per bushel to so per cent Of
| the loan value. Inasmuch as wheat
prices have increased to where the
loan value at IS per cent of parity is
now around SO cents per buShel, this
makes the penalty 40 cents per bushel
a drastic increase which Congress die
not foresee.
Result has been a strong, and justi-
fed protest from the wheat belt. The
| AAA could not change the law, but il
has issued an order which to large
extent will mitigate the hardship or
farmers. The order offers farmers
who exceeded their wheat acreage al
lotment last spring or fall an oppor-
tunity to carry over the wheat pro-
duced on these acres and to obtain or
| it a loan of 60 per cent of the full
loan value or about SO cents a bushel
Then, next spring, if there are nc
marketing quotas on wheat, the far
mer is released from the penalty and
may market the wheat. If there are
marketing quotas, the farmer also may
be released from the penalty by keep
ing his wheat acreage next year be-
low his allotment by an acreage equal
to that by which he exceeded his al
lotment this year. Or, if the price OF
wheat should increase sufficiently to
justify it, he may still pay the penalty
and sell his wheat.
The order, it seems to me, meets
the problem as well as it could be
| met and offers the farmer a fair
chance to avoid the stiff penalty pay
|