Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-27

Written BY that newspapers horti-
culture editor. 1t is reprinted here
as an interesting and timely discus
sion of a uital subject.
To the New York Herald Tribune:
Americans have keen dislike for bad
forced to do so: then they rise up in
their might, squawk to beat hell for
time and finally settle down to make
the best of 1t.
Shortly after Pearl Harbor students
of agriculture started to warn the Gov
eminent and the public press that the
then slowly developing farm-food prob
lem eventually would result in a Short
age such as this country had never seen.
All predictions and advice fell on deaf
ears, and the unappreciative audience
was not confined to the Government
alone This writer we'll remembers as
recently as early September, 1912, upon
predicting severe rations for the Nation,
being questioned by a most able editor
! as to whether we were trying to scare
the American public to death.
These predictions on the part of those
close to the food production problem
we're as simple as A, B, C; as simple as
the fact that when you subtract from
4 there is only left. Immediately after
Pearl Harbor the trek from the farm
to industry and the armed forces began
simultaneously with this movement
came the big push on industrial produce
ton which resulted in an allotment of
materials where it seemed to those versed
in the ways of machinery, but not food
production most feasible. Men whose
closest associat ton with food production
was their favorite restaurant set allot-
ment OF farm machinery.
Labor, we'll organized, with a powerful
bloc in Washington and sympathetic
administration, scared to new wage
gains further separating the gap be-
tween wages and hours of industry and
those of agriculture. This accentuated
the mass movement away from agricul-
ture toward industry. The figures today
of lost farm labor are about two to in
dustry to one in the armed forces. Not
only did the hired man depart. but in
thousands of instances the farmer him.
self gave up the agricultural fight and
| moved over to 40hour job at a higher
income than he had ever earned in his
life
Then, due to the demands of war,
came the shortage of certain ingredients
which go into the making of fertilizers
and spray materials which are used in
the growing and the protection of food
crops. Cattle started to move to the
auction block and with them farm ma
chinery, which, due to decreased manu-
facture, began to bring fantastic prices.
This looked like good time to clear up
the farm debts and retire to living
that could be earned in 40 hours each.
week with none of the accompanying
worries of being a rugged individualist.
Appeals from the agriculture districts
turned into downright demands and
threats. The absence of fair legislation
developed into threats of extreme legis-
lation, and the farm bloc became the
threat of Nation in the eyes OF many
propagandists. In early February this
| writer, in series of articles relative to
the farm situation, pointed out that, I'M
less given relief, the pressure from back
home would force legislation through
that might be good or bad for the coun-
try at large. That period is here. new
champion rides high in Washington, a
champion that rode into power on the
neglect and ineff1ciency of Government
officials. 1t is now freely predicted that
not only will farm legislation be passed,
but in addition, if vetoed, will likely be
passed again over the veto. All because
we hate bad news.
1t has been most obvious over the last
year that too many cooks have spoiled
the broth of food production; too many
departments and individuals dipping into
the vital dish of the American way OF
| life. 1t would be easy to blame the pres
| ent Secretary of Agriculture for this
situation, and perhaps he might have
| shown more leadership, but this fact still
! would not solve the farm picture and
will not solve it.
There must be some semblance of
long-range planning. There must be an
end of rules that serve for the moment
| and then create new problems that fur
| ther confuse the main issue. There must
| be use made Of the brains and talent
of agriculture students in this Nation.
In every Immigrant college in the Ma
! ton there are men like Deans Laid of
Cornell, Martin of Rutgers and Schuster.
of Delaware, who if given the chance 10
advise could aid in the solution of the
! problem which threatens the well-being
of the Nation. There must be some
effort, completely devoid of politics, to
plan and plant this Nation so that its
people, its armies, its Allies and the
countries to be freed can be fed
Americans worthy of the name will
make the best of rations, and, generally
speaking, this writer feels they will o.
serve them. They will expect, however,
If the history of this country is any
criterion, adequate leadership to lessen
the pressure of the point system, leader
ship to bring to the Nation the best pos
sible in food production under the con-
ditions surrounding it.
| Who better to take this leadership than
the. Squire of Duchess County, who at
each election registration describes him
self as a farmer?
j. w. JOHNSTON,
| ~~ti 1&,,~~