The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-11-25

anyway, because a subsequent de-
pyession's absolutely inevitable. So
What's the use. they argue. In
: gtswing about II now. when we've
e6t more urgent matters to attend
f.?
I Claude disagrees with 'em COM
pletely.
His thesis Is that. while it's
nightly hard to cure a depression
after it's started. preventive medi-
cine can keep 1t from starting.
that the thing to do Is to have the
dope ready to administer ahead Of
the initial slump. that now's the
time to be connecting 1t and that
1t can be done without In the least
hampering defensive and lease
lending activity.
He makes out pretty good case
In support Of his contention that
the farmers. on an average. are
materially better of. due to what
the governments done for 'em and
wants the same system adopted
for what he's convinced will be to
industry's advantage.
AS to agriculture, experts sof
Claude's department first figure
out how much. In crops, the farm
ers will be able to market after
producing 'em. and tells 'em what
they should grow. each Of 'em. OF
raise. II it's livestock. II there's
q bit Of IN excess after the har.
vest, Uncle Sam takes II OF the
ruralites' hands. so that they're
not stuck with It. He stores this
surplus, which. he can ooze out By
degrees II there chances to be q
shortage the next time.
It appears that It really does
tend to stabilize things.
For Factories, Toof
Factories, Secretary wickard
maintains. ought to be similarly
supervised. and protected against
loss II they do somewhat ovsrdo
themselves.
Al u.-. way, he reasons. there'c
be q definitely determinable vol.
ume OF employment constantly
urban a. well as rural. From year
to year there might be more or
less fiuctuation. but Claude's no.
ton II to take care Of this by hav-
Ing q big program Of public work
(roads. forestry. water facilities
and miscellaneous improvements)
always on hand. to be expanded or
contracted to suit changing condi-
lions.
This public work idea isn't alto
gether new. President Hoover orig
inally evolved It as q remedy for
the last depression. It wasn't
worked out In sufficient prelimi-
nary detail to accomplish much re
lief. then. though. A lot Of depart
mental building was done In WASH
ington. to be sure. and postoHices
were erected all over the country,
but advance planning hadn't been
done deliberately enough to make a
total impres sion Of any conse-
quence on hard times Of such pro-
portions. Advance planning Is
what Secretary Wickard's ciamor.
ing for
Claude also favors industry's de-
centralization-plenty Of smallish.
scattered plants in preference to
their concentration In huge fac
tories In our biggest cities.
Opponents Of his scheme object
to II on the ground that II calls for
an undemocratically complicated
network Of controls-regimenta-
ton. subversive Of free enterprise.
Even II 1t would work, they're hos
tile to everlasting national pros
perity involving such government
al regulation.
Vantage Point Weak
Caude's handicap is that he has
o express himself from the not
cry favorable vantage point Of
he agriculture department. It's
Ill very well for him to speak from
here relative to farm prosperity,
but 1t isn't just the place for him
TO discuss what he considers best
for post-emergency urban In
dustry. What the heck" demand
the industrialists. does he know
about our problems ?"
He's set up an intra-department-
al committee. though. to draft his