Milford chronicle., 1944-11-03
Text OF Governor DetUey's
Speech At Syracuse, ~ r,
On u. S. Farm Problems

farm speech at SYRACUSE New AotAg h@Sf So
urday night follows
These war years have produced
trying days on the farms all over
our country. Millions of sons from
our farms are fighting on battle
fronts all over the world. Fathers,
mothers, sisters, and brothers have
taken over the extra work, without
regard to age or physical handi-
caps. Shortage of help and short
age of equipment have increased
the burdens. And to cap it all nave
been the inexcusable attempts at
increased RECOMMENDATION by New
Deal theorists in Washington.
AS one who has worked with our
own farm leaders day and night to
achieve the success of our farm
manpower service, our emergency
food commission and the farm
machinery repair program, | have
come to feel that all the heroes OF
this war, our farmers have receiV-
ed the least credit for the tremen-
dous job they have done.
Now the war is drawing ever
closer to its conclusion. With
mighty triumphs in Europe and the
Pacific, our fighting men are
bringing victory nearer every day.
AS you know, change of admin
stration next January 20 will not
involve any change in our military
command. But it will bring an end
to the pickering, chaos and the
confusion in Washington. 1t Will
bring a stronger. more united ma
ton backing up our fighting men
without division and warning at
home.
1t will be a signal to all the
world that free government is
strong and able to strengthen it.
self in total war. 1t will mean
quicker victory. And it will mean
an administration which does not
fear the peace-One which will
bring our fighting men home
promptly when victory is achieved.
Meaning to Farmers
What will peace mean to our
farmers? Will it mean just contin-
ned efforts to control their lives
from Washington? Will it mean the
same collapse of prices which oc-
Cured under a Democratic admin
istration after the last war? Will 1t
mean a return to the sub-standard
prices our farmers were still re-
ceiving after eight peacetime years
of the New Deal in 1870? 1t must
not mean these things. We can and
must do better if We are to have
free and progressive America.
Few people seem to realize that
the American farmer is the largest
purchaser of the products of our
mills and factories. Every Ameri-
can, regardless of his business or
employment, has a direct interest
in the prosperity and stability Of
agriculture.
Unlike other producers the farm
er deals with elements wholly be-
yond his control. He may plant
wisely and well and then the wea-
Their can destroy his crops. He may
produce to the maximum and find
thae a national sarplus.ihas broken
his prices to the point where he
las a loss for an entire years
work
We cannot control the weather.
But for the sake of the nations, we
can and we must avoid these eX-
IRENE price fluctuations AS a ma
ton. we are committed to the prop
osition that the prices of major
farm produce must be supported /
against the sub-standard levels we
saw for so many years before this
war.
We have learned that depression
on the farm leads inevitably to de- !
preston in the nation just as I'M /
employment and misery in the city :
lead to misery on the farm. If we
are to have a strong, vigorous and
happy country. we must have full
employment in the factories and
fair prices on the farms.
Hopes Under New Deal
Is there any hope of achieving
this result under the New Deal?
Well the simple answer is that
after it had been in office nearly
eight years in 1910. the New Deal
had still failed to achieve anything
like fair prices for farm products.
And one of the main reasons for
that was that there were still TO-
900 900 Americans unemployed.
Now, my opponent seeks vote OF
confidence on that record. He asks
for 16 straight years in the White
House. And what does he offer for
the future? Nothing different from
or better than the program which
failed. 1t took war to get decent
farm prices just as it took war to
get jobs.
From the very beginning of the
New Deal, farm programs put for
ward by the farmers have been set
up. only to be exploited for pOliti-
cal profit and to gain control over
the operation of our farms.
For example. one of our most
important needs is to preserve, re-
store and build up our soil resour-
ces. The Soil Conservation Service
has done good job in some parts
of the country. But this program
will fail if it is used as an excuse
for RECOMMENDATION and wasteful
bureaucracy.
Let's be specific Take, for exam !
pie, a farmer not far from here
who signed up with the soil con-
program. Within a period
of four months IA different govern
ment agents travelled to this one
little farm of As acres to tell how t
his job should be done. Several |
came many times. When he got all !
through, the farmer paid for the f
actual work, and he also paid in I
taxes for the Is unnecessary gov {
agents. /
That sort of thing would not have a
happened if local people had any