The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-04-02
farmer SHOULD
SPEAK FOR
HIMSELF
From Stamford Mirror-Recorder

| We have a communication this wee
which has to do with some of tn
problems which just now are worry
ing farmers and not the least of whic
is winning the war. The article
submitted by Mr.. Alfred Mead of Gil
boa and is as follows:
81 speak for the middle-class farm
Will published by the Saturday Eve
ming Post and reprinted in the Mirror
Recorder. What do the farmers thinl
of Ed Wills article?
Several of us talked it over here
and we could find nothing to supper
Mr.. Wills claim to speak for 'tht
middle-class farmer" Though the
Saturday Evening Post called it "s
highly personal analysis" we cannot
see wherein his article is anything
except an endorsement of the farm
bloc" program. What is more, we dc
not see any positive measures in this
solve their serious production prob
lens and enable us to increase ou1
output of war-needed foods.
For two years, the farm bloc
stood in the way of increased farm
production and openly told farmers
that they should not try to increase
output. Even now, we hear the usual
surplus" song being sung about milk,
60 nj hot io or
the shortest of all major farm prod
ucts by the government. In the face
of growing food shortages, it became
impossible for the farm bloc" to
maintain that there should be no in
crease in total farm production-such
a position now seems almost to border
on treason. So, the farm bloc" is
now trying to blame everybody else
for the food shortages which are daily
growing more acute.
A year ago, H. E. Babcock, then
president of the National Council of
Farmer Co-operatives, which is part
of the so-called "'big four" lobby be-
hind the farm bloc" wrote in Frank
Gannett's American Agriculturist,
Definitely, as l see it, expansion of
dairies, poultry flocks is extreme
ly hazardous so far as the northeast
is concerned and is not in the public
interest" (Feb. 20, 1942). But now
the farm bloc" tries to pass the buck
and blame others for the critical
shortages that are rapidly becoming
acute.
AS farmers, we want to produce as
much as we can for our boys in the
armed forces. We want to do every
hing possible to aid the United Ma
ions in this global war against the
Axis. This means that we, the farm
srs, must have positive assistance in
Meeting our production problems and
n expanding our output, such as in
lustry has been receiving.
But the farm bloc" has not helped
is to solve our problems. 1t has not
;ome forward with any real measures
or meeting our manpower and ma
;hinery problems, and it has fought
lgainst every proposal, no matter how
light, which would provide some as
istance. 1t has opposed the $780,
100000 incentive payment plan, the |
elease of government-held wheat for
ow-cost feed, and appropriations for
he Farm Security Administration, |
which helps some 100000 family-sized
arms.
The farm bloc" has claimed to
@ the champion of higher farm
rices. 1t has used this claim to |
urther its attack on the whole price
ontrol program, including the $4,000 |
imitation on net salaries This course
f action may be what the big boys
re calling for; they certainly kicked
yhen the President proposed that the
$4,000 limit be extended to all in
ONE, thereby applying it to the
coupon clippers" as well as the boys
nth high salaries.
Despite the protest of the farm
loc' that it is solely interested in the
-ell-being of the farmers, we notice
nat their attack on price control has
enefitted only the milk dealers, the
leat packers, the flour millers, and
Their 'non-farm" groups. When the
farm bloc" knocked out the federal
lilk subsidy and forced a higher re- {
I'll milk price, the milk dealers boost
the price by more than the subsidy {
the farmers got nothing. When {
cam was thinned Ga form of price
crease) the dealers again pocketed [
lie gain, and the farmers took a re- {
Iction in their returns since the t
ilk diverted to butter gives much ]
wer return than that used in cream. s
the black markets in but
+, that are now running rampant {
e no doubt making some people
ch-but not the farmer who get a
"A price, or about the lowest re-
IN, for milk used to make butter. i
e protein content of our feed is be- L
g reduced. Instead of warning on f
ice control, we would like to see a
ling placed on feed.
Unlike Mr. Will and the farm a
oc," we here do not think that high O
and higher prices will solve the il
rmer's labor problem. We know t.
at without effective price control a
Q trusts can always keep their r
ices several jumps ahead of ours. p
hooking out that $4,000 net salary n
ling is not going to help us; and p
en- if we got much higher farm Il