The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1944-01-13

Editor Western News.
wish to call your attention to an
article appearing in bold type on
the front page of the last issue of
the Western News which was a
purported conversation that you had
with a certain party at Christmas
time relative to the production of
wheat.
This article stated that the said
certain party is the owner Of a
tract of land, not stating whether
the land is located in Lincoln Coun-
ty, in the State of Montana, or
elsewhere in the United States. 1t
also stated that he had never grown
wheat, certainly had never intended
to grow wheat, and did not intend
to grow wheat in the future, but
sfilf the Government came along
and gave him $l65 for not raising
wheat, and he considered it rather
a soft snap Since this article is
sure to create false impression
upon your reading public, feel it
is only justice that it should be
answered through the columns Of
your paper
To begin with, this party did not
receive Sl65 for not raising wheat
II he is land owner in Lincoln
County, / can definitely say that he
has not received $165 for a wheat
payment, since that large wheat
payment to-any single farmer in
the county has never been made
during the life of the farm pro-
gram. Secondly, ! am wondering
how he got his wheat allotment
assigned to him. Wheat acreage al
1otments were granted by the Coun-
ty Committees, with the approval of
the State Committee, and were
based on the wheat acreage history
of the farm over period of 10
years prior to the establishment of
a wheat acreage allotment for the
farm. This history was furnished
and substantiated by the farmer. If
the farmer had no wheat acreage
history, he could not be given a
wheat allotment except as new
wheat farmer coming into wheat
production. In that case he could
be given a small acreage allotment.
However, no payment would be
made on that allotment until the
farmer had grown wheat to estab-
lish wheat history. The object Of
giving new wheat allotments was
up his history without being pen
allied for planting over the maxi
mum amount of wheat on non
wheat allotment farm. The payment
in connection with wheat was made,
not for raising wheat, but for plant
ing within the wheat acreage al
lotment AT the beginning of the
program for a number Of years a
farmer with wheat acreage allot-
ment was required to plant 30 per
cent of his allotment to qualify for
the wheat payment. If he planted
under the 80 per cent he was pen
allied certain amount per acre
on his wheat payment until if he
planted no wheat at all there would
be no payment due him. In later
years when the surplus Of wheat
became SO great, this requirement
was temporarily suspended and the
farmer was paid his wheat allot-
! ment payment even though he did
not plant any wheat at all. How
ever, If he did not plant wheat, his
allotment was reduced so that If he
failed to plant any wheat for three
years in succession he automatically
lost his wheat allotment and was
classed as non-Wheat farmer.
Third, prior to the beginning of
the crop season, each year every
farmer In the county receives a
notice Of aasign-up meeting where
he can appear before his communi-
ty committee and sign farm plan
which constitutes his agreement to
cooperate in the farm program dur
ing the year. Any farmer who fails
to sign this form or to sign up as a
cooperator at the beginning Of the
crop year Is not eligible to receive
payment. This is merely volun-
tary program--a man can sign up If
he wishes and agree to participate
In the program or he need not
There is nothing mandatory about
it. the entire program is voluntary
Ii farmer signs his farm plan, he
still is not compelled to carry out
any practices or abide by the pro-
gram, but unless he does he will
not get any payment cannot help
but wonder what this party's pur-
pose was in signing up in the spring
for the program if he did not in
tend to cooperate with the pro-
gram and the Government. 1t seems
to me to be a case where the man
was out to get the benefits with
out bothering about the cooperative
features Of the program. 1t would
seem that for man to come in and
sign up for the purpose of receiving
the payment from a program that
he is not in sympathy with, to say
the least is not commendable.
/ wish to say in conclusion that
when the farm program is under
stood and considered with a nom
partisan and unbiased mind it has
been a great benefit to the Ameri-
can farmer and especially in this
,->time of war it has not only bene-
fitted the farmer but it has benefit
ted the whole nation in being the
agent through which the Govern
ment has reached the farmer and
brought about united effort
among the farmers IN fha rrrdY,c