Evening star., 1944-10-28

- -
/, The otiier night in st. Louis told
about an executive order In which
ms, opponent, ON April 10, l943, dealt
With the powers Of his new War
Food administrator, whom he had
appointed to take over the job OF
the Secretary of Agriculture in
handling our critical food situation.
lReferring. to both of them, he de-
ciared they shall each have au-
thority to exercise any and all OF the
powers vested in the other by statute
or otherwise.
There 1t Is in his own words
two men in one Job.
Now, my opponent has COM
planned that I did not tell the
| whole story about that executive
order. am happy to accept the
invitation. Here's the rest of 1t.
/ That executive order created the
usual conflicts. Within two months
that War Food Administrator, Mr..
Chester Davis, resigned. He was
drafted to do a big job and then
prevented from doing 1t. Here is
what he said: II find that / have
assumed public responsibility
while the authority, not only over
bread food policy, but. day-to-da
actions. is being exercised else
where"
So, we lost q first-class man
Another man was put In the job
and the chaos rolled on. But there
is still more to this story of two
or more men in one job. The White
House cabal had been trying to
get rid of Harry Slattery, the rural
electrification administrator. FL
nally they offered to create a new
job for him, at the same salary
and at the taxpayers expense. He
was asked to undertake a special
study of rural electriflcation not
in China, this time, but in war
torn Europe in 1913.
Charges Confusion Spread.
But Mr.. Slattery stuck to his
job. So the Secretary Of Agricul-
ture appointed deputy admins
traitor and gave orders to the entire
REA staff that henoeworth they
should all report to the admins
traitor through his deputy. The
deputy moved in and took charge
firing people right and left. And
Just at the time when the REA
should be getting ready to do a
big postwar job providing cleo
tricity to farmers, 1t has been torn
apart by conflict and confusion be-
tween the usual two men in one
job
The White House spreads con-
fusion from the cabinet level up
And the Secretary of Agriculture
spreads confusion from the cabinet
level down. That's why we need q
responsible cabinet in this country
That's why it's time for change
I am resisting the temptation to
| talk at length about these things
Time does not permit discussion of
what happened to support prices in
the hog market and the egg market
during the past year. But one thing
is very clear: When the Govern
ment makes a pledge to support hog
prices, for example, the farmer
ought to know who is responsible
whether 1t Is the OPA or the Wal
Food Administrator or the Director
of Economic Sterilization or the
lSecretary of Agriculture Or who
The hog market scandal is bu,
another example Of the fact that foi
II years in this country we have
had an unmanageable surplus OF
promises-prouises lightly made
] sketchily kept, or openly violated.
4 That is Why 1t Is 50 important to
restore efficiency as we'll as integrity
/ to our Government, so that its
spoken word may be trusted once
again.
Cites Farm Platform.
To that. end my party in its ma
I tional convention adopted a plat
form to which I am pledged The
unqualified pledges of that plat
form read in part, as follows:
"A Department of Agriculture un-
der practical and experienced ad-
ministration free from regimenta-
ton and confusing Government ma =
nipulati ton and control of farm pro-
grams.
AN American market price to the
American farmer and the protection
of such price by means of support
prices, commodity loans, or a COM
bination thereof, together with such
other economic means as will as
sure an income to agriculture that
is fair and equitable in comparison
with labor, business and indus.
| try.
Disposition of surplus war COM
modities without destroying
markets or continued production
and without benefit to speculative,
profiteers
The control and disposition ot
future surpluses by means Of new
uses developed through constant
research, vigorous development OF
foreign markets d" adjustment.
in production of any given basic
crop only If domestic surpluse:
should become abnormal and exceed
manageable proportions.
Intensified research to discover
new crops, and new and profitable
uses for existing crops.
Support of the principle Of bona
fide farmer-owned and farmer
operated co-operatives.
Consolidation of all Government
farm credit under a nonpartisar
board. ..-
ITO make life more attractive on
the family-type farm through de-
veloprnent of rural road, sound .ex-
tension Of rural electrification serv-
ice to the farm and elimination OF
basic evils Of tenancy 49,.
Serious study of and search fol
a sound program Of crop insurance
with emphasis upon establishing q
self-supporting program.
"A comprehensive program OF
soil, forest, water and wildlife con-
servation and development and
sound irrigation projects, admin
istered as far as possible at State
and regional levels