The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-03-25
WNU Service, Union Trust Building
Washington, d. C.

j
newspaper that congress is out to
"get" Secretary of Agriculture
Wickard. The reason being offered
is: There's going to be a food
shortage and he's responsible That
isn't the half of it.
In the first place, the folks who
have been leaning back with their
feet on the Washington cracker-bar-
rel and watching administrations,
wars and panics come and go, aren't
taking these fiery debates, these
charges and counter-charges too Sc
riously.
The fight in congress today on the
surface is the farm bureau, the big
farmer (Who isn't SO big in many
cases. versus Wickard. One layer
below the surface. you'll hear it
called the fight of the extension
services against the Farm Security
administration. Back in the crack
er-barrel corner it's just the fight
against the administration and
what's left of the New Deal.
Criticism Political
One of these old timers shifted
his stogie, took down his feet and
said to me: This is just politics.
The idea is that 1914 is coming up
and if you are an honest out you've
got to do all you can to discredit the
ms think Wickard will weather
the storm. The Farm bureau peo-
pie have nothing against him except
as a symbol of the administration.
He's an old farm bureau man him.
self"
But" interjected, what about
the war effort, what about hiking
up the farm prices and smashing
the price ceilings? You can't give
the farmers higher prices without
having to boost wages"
My friend caressed his stogie and
smiled. Don't worry" he said,
nobody is going to do anything in
the long run that will interfere with
war plans. But in a political fight,
everybody leans as far out of the
tree as he can without falling. Ev-
erybody says the other fellow is
playing politics : but everybody
plays the game just the. same
What is this extension service
versus Farm Security fight? Well,
it goes back long way.
In the old days, the extension
service, the idea of the county
agents was started by commercial
organizations which wanted to i'm
prove farm prosperity so they could
sell more city goods. Later, the
system was financed by the states
with the help of federal grants. But
the states dominated. Then the
American Farm Bureau federation
was formed, officially in 1920.
The organization pushed certain
ideas for attacking SURPRISES not
very different from what the AAA
developed later. As the farm prob
lem grew worse, a farm conference
was called in Washington in 1882.
This group prepared bill contain
ing many features similar to those
finally incorporated into the Agri-
cultural Adjustment act.
Then came the first friction be-
tween the farm bureau and the adj
ministration. There was a good deal
OF politics in that, too. 1t was a
struggle between the AAA repre-
sentatives in the field and the state
set-ups.
Farmers' Union Formed
Later, the Farmers Union came
into the picture. 1t was started
among the low income farmers in
Texas. 1t was the left wing Of Ag-
riculture and to the other farm
groups, it was pink" 1t had the
strong backing of Mrs. Roosevelt;
its policies were reflected by the
Farm Security administration, a RI
val of the more conservative Farm
Credit administration which minis
tered to the financial ills of the big
ger farmers. The friction has never
ceased.
A blow-up came when Wickard
started his food administration. AS
an old farm bureau man, he always
leaned over backward in an effort
not to be prejudiced against Farm
Security. Also, as a cabinet mem
Der, he couldn't stray too far from
White House preachments. So he
named Parisius, a Farm Security
man, to head up his food conserva-
ton machinery and Immediately a
nest of hornets was loose. There
was no choice. 1t was a question
of making a left turn against traf-
fic. Parisius had to go.