Evening star., 1944-10-29
Text Of Presidents Addresses in Chicago and Fort Wayne
Outlines Postwar Program With Cool
With Country No Longer Operating

: Price, Industrial and Wa
Ineries-and, everywhere where men
and women are employed.
| During the war we have been
compelled to limit wage and salary
increases for one great objective
to prevent runaway imitation. You
all know how successfully we have
held the line by the way your
cost Of living has been kept down.
Wage Restrictions End With War.
However, at the end of the war
there will be more goods avail
able, and it is only good common
sense to see to it that the working
man is paid enough, and that the
farmers earn enough, to buy these
goods and keep our factories
running.
1t is a simple fact that a greatly
increased production of food and
fibre on the farms can be consumed
by the people who work in industry
only If those people who work In in
dustry have enough money to buy
food and clothing. If industrial
wages 60 down, farm prices will go
down, too. After the war, we shall
OF course, remove the control of
wages and leave their determina-
ton to free collective bargaining
between trade unions and employers,
In this war, the American farmer
has been called upon to do far and
away the biggest food production job
in history.
The American farmer has met
that challenge triumphantly.
Despite all manner of wartime
diffculties-shortage of farm labor
and of new farm machinery-the
American farmer has achieved a
total of food production which is
one OF the wonders Of the world
The American farmer is a great
producer; and he must have the
means to be also q great consumer.
For more farm income means more
jobs everywhere in the Nation.
Rise in Farm Income.
Let us look back for a moment
to 1888. All of us remember the
spreading tide of farm foreclosures;
we remember four cent hogs, twen-
ty-cent wheat. f1ve-cent cotton.
I am going to give you some
figures on recovery-and I am sure
you will pardon me If I quote them
correctly.
In 1882 the American farmers net
income was only two and one
quarter billion dollars.
In l940-a year before we were
attacked-farm income was more
than doubled, to five and a half
billion dollars.
This year-1944-it will be ap-
proximately thirteen and one-half
billion dollars.
Certainly the American farmer
does not want to 60 back to q
Government owned by the moguls
Of 1929-and let us bear it constant
ly in mind that those same moguls
still control the destinies of the
Republican party.
We must continue this admin
istration's policy of conserving the
enormous gifts with which an
abundant Providence has blessed
our country-our soil, our forests,
our water.
More Power Projects.
The work of the Tennessee Valley
Authority Is closely related to our
national farm program. and we look
toward the similar developments
which T have recommended in the
valley of the Missouri-in the valley
Of the Arkansas-and in the Co.
lumbia Basin.
And incidentally-and as an aside
II cannot resist the temptation to
point to the gigantic contribution
to our war effort made by the pow
er generated at IVA and Bonne-
Vile and Grand Coulee.
Do you remember when the build
ling Of these great public works was
ridiculed as New Deal "boondog-
Cling? and we are now planning
developments at Grand Coulee,
which will provide irrigation for
many thousands of acres-providing
fertile farm land for settlement-I
hope-by many of our returning
soldiers and sailors.
More "boondoggling!"
This administration has put into
the law of the land the farmers
long dream of parity prices.
And we propose, too, that the
Government will cooperate when
the weather will not-by a gen.
ulne crop insurance program.
This administration adopted-and
will continue-the policy of giving
to as many farmers as possible the
chance of owning their own farms.
Veterans Can Grow Apples.
This means something to those
veterans who left their farms to
fight for their country.
This time they can grow apples
on their own farms instead of hav-
ing to sell apples on street corners.
I believe in free enterprise-and
always have.
I believe in the profit system-and
always have.
l believe that private enterprise
can give full employment to our
people.
And If any one feels that my faith
in our ability to to provide so mil
lion full-time jobs is fantastic, let
him remember that some people said
the same thing about my demand In
1940 for $4,000 airplanes.
I believe in exceptional rewards