The Ely miner., 1943-04-08
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Washington, D. C.
PRESIDENT LISTENS

Albert S. Goss, master of the Ma
tional Grange, H. E. Babcock, vice
president of the National Council of
Farmer Co-operatives, and Ezra T.
Nelson, its executive secretary.
The farm spokesmen spent about
30 minutes of the 37-minute confer
ence expounding their views on what
caused the food shortage now facing
the country and what has to be done
to remedy it. The President con-
fined his remarks chiefly to asking
questions.
He began by telling his visitors
that the food situation was "ex-
tremely serious"
That's why I invited you gentle
men here today-to get your opin-
ions on what has to be DONE" the
President said. go ahead and be
as frank as you like"
The farm leaders accepted the
challenge. They charged the ad-
ministration with "shortsightedness'
in dealing with farm labor defer
ments and contended that govern
ment price policies also had con-
tributed to the farm manpower
shortage.
Local Draft Problem.
eff you want my views, I'll give
them to you, Mr.. President" spoke
up Ezra Nelson. 1.-TWO things have
to be done and done Immediately
First of all, someone In authority
here in Washington must tell these
local draft boards where to head in.
'They must be told that they have
almost as much responsibility to see
to it that we have sufficient man
power to produce food for the war
effort as they have to provide men
for the fighting forces. Food is Just
as important as munitions in my
opinion. We can't fight the war
without it, and we can't let our civil
ianS Starve.
"a lot of these local draft boards
still feel that they must fill their
induction quotas" Nelson continued.
"The boards have been assigned
quotas, but they don't have to meet
them, at least not in sections where
there is a crying farm labor short
age. You, or someone else should
tell them this"
The President pointed out that
many young farmers don't want to
be deferred.
''This isn't the fault of the draft
boards" he said. ''The young men
themselves are so patriotic that they
do not want to remain on the farm
while a war is going on"
It was agreed that steps would
have to be taken to convince Sc
lectees that they could serve their
country as well on the farm as in
the army. Goss suggested that one
way out" would be to induct farm
hands and then ''furlough" them
back to the farm at prevailing farm
wages, instead of army pay. This
would require legislation, but the
President said it was an idea worth
considering.
otOp SCuluS OOWS.
''The second thing that has to be
done is for the government to step
in and stop the widespread selling
of dairy cows and other stock and
farm equipment by farmers who are
unable to continue in business at
present farm price levels" Nelson
continued.
'I'm as much opposed to initiation
as you are, Mr.. President" he add
ed, 'but we have got to make il
possible for farmers to operate at a
fair profit if we are to lick this
threatened food shortage They have
got to be assured fair prices in order
to pay wages that will keep their
help from migrating to jobs in IN
dustry."
The cooperative official contend
ed that farms had lost two-thirds OF
their manpower to war industries
because of low farm wages.
The President said that he, too,
was deeply concerned about this fac
tor, suggested to his callers that
they get together with Secretary OF
Agriculture Wickard and map out a
program embracing their recon-
nendations.
''Then come back and see me
again. urged the President "I want
to continue these discussions.
CAPITAL CHAFF
q The super-cabinet' careful con-
sideration of how big our armed
forces should be was actually a
sham battle. FDR has the sold
dutch up" over the size of the armed
forces and wouldn't take anybody s
say-so on this point, except the
army's own plan, conceived way
back in 1888 The army In 1885
had no idea whether we would have
the ships in 1943 to transport troops
abroad, but is sticking to its originaI
plan just the same And FDR is 1O(
per cent behind it.
q John McC Clintock, assistant co-ordi
nator of inter-American affairs. Is
off to the Amazon, to inspect food
and health programs for rubber tap
pers.
q When General Marshall turned
down the rank of Field Marshal
he also knocked over carefully
laid plan whereby Admiral Kins
would become Admiral of the
Fleet" To date only three mer
have won the title Admiral of the
Fleet'-Dewey, Farragut and Por
ter Tipoff on the proposal t.
make King Admiral of the Fleet wa.
so he could outrank Admiral Leahy
q After Mrs. Henry Wallace hac
failed to find a collapsible bag fol
the vice presidents air trip to Soutt
America, two army officers ap
peared in his offce-Maj. J. Mardel
Murphy and Col. George F. Schul
gen-and presented him with tn.
very thing she had been looking for