Evening star., 1943-07-12
President Signs
$848,295,883
Agricu|tureBi||
Regrets Congress
Refused Crop.
Insurance Funds

President Roosevelt today
signed the Agricultural Depart
ment bill appropriating $848,-
295,883 for the next fiscal year,
and at the same time issued a
statement expressing regret that
Congress had refused to provide
funds for continuing the insur-
ance program on wheat and
cotton.
At the insistence of the House a
requested appropriation of $7,81S,-
TAB was cut to $3,500,000 and the
proviso was inserted that no money
should be used to insure crops
planted subsequent to July 81 of
this year or for any other purpose
except to liquidate contracts already
entered into.
Hopes for Action in Fall.
II certainly hope that when Con-
gress returns from it's recess the
funds will be provided to continue
this program, which will mean so
much to our farmers and at the
same time enable agriculture to be
placed on a more stable basis than
ever before" the Presidents state
ment said
In signing the agriculture bill,
President Roosevelt made it pos
sible for the department to pay its
employees on the first midmonthly
payday tomorrow. but left still un-
signed five other bills, one of which
carries funds for thousands of work.
ers in Federal and District govern
ments.
After saying that he regretted ex-
ceedingly that the crop-insurance
program had been terminated, the
President amplified: "One of the
greatest obstacles which confronts
the farmers in maintaining a stable
income is the hazard of weather.
The crop-insurance program was de-
signed to give the farmer protection
against his income wiped out or
greatly reduced by unfavorable
weather or some other disaster.
This protection is sorely needed by
the small farmers, who in most in
stances have no financial reserve to
tide them over until another crop
can be made.
Program Needs Time.
"The reason assigned for putting
an end to crop insurance is that
it was too expensive. 1t was to be
expected. in perfecting a program
of such magnitude, the Govern
ment would have to go to much ex-
pense and it would take several
years to give it fair trial. 1 do
not feel that the Department of
Agriculture has been given suffi-
cient time to demonstrate the prac-
ticability of crop insurance. Any
program involving SO many compli-
cations and such a great amount of
educational work with the farmers
cannot be placed on a sustaining or
entirely satisfactory basis within a
few years"
The President said that when the
Government first experimental with
rural free delivery and latterly with
rural electrification, critics said that
they were too costly and not practic-
able, and that there we're other
programs which also had been de-
clared not feasible and ARE now
recognized as a great blessing to
our rural population" and so are
working on a practical and satisfac-
tory basis.
IF we can make crop insurance
work, it WILL in my opinion, prove
one OF the greatest steps ever taken
by the Government toward roe'-i,e
farming sound and profitable oc-
cupation," Mr.. Roosevelt e,4....a-
sized. Certainly in these times,
when the farmer is being urged to
produce more and assume greater
risks, we should not stop a pro-
gram which is of such tremendous
potential value to them"
Other Bills Wait Action.
Of the five other appropriation
bills still awaiting the President S
signatures, all but one-the second
deficiency bill-carry payroll money,
according to the Treasury Depart
ment.
One bill has pay for the District
80. ADDD0ppT DIR oY1