Evening star., 1950-04-03
Text of Trumon's Message on Farm Price Supports
The teri of President

ext of 7run1o
The tert of President Tru-
mans message on farm price
supports tolloDs.:
On March 81, 1850, approved
H. j. Res. 1913, Relating to cotton
and peanut acreage allotments
and marketing quotas under the
Agricultural Adjustment Act of
1888, as amended, and to price
supports for potatoes"
l approved this measure with
reluctance. because it contains
some provisions which seem to me
to be definitely undesirable, and
it's other provisions merely under
take to alleviate defects in the
existing farm program temporari-
ly, without correcting those de-
fects. Moreover, even this tempo
rary relief, which is urgently
needed, will require additional ex-
penditures of public funds and
increase the likelihood of future
difficulties for the farm program.
One part of the bill, that relat-
ing to potatoes, is a step in the
right direction for the long run.
While it would do little or nothing
to remedy for this years crop the
defects in the potato price sup
port program. it does hold out
hope of improving this program
for subsequent years. However, if
each step made in improving the
farm program in one place is to
be accompanied by a step back
ward in another place, we will fail
to make the advances in that
program which are necessary if
it is to retain the approval of the
American people.
This Joint Resolution furnishes
additional grounds for the charges
that the present farm program
is costly and piles up unmanage-
able surpluses at the same time
that it maintains artif1cially high
prices for agricultural commod-
tiles. What is needed is for
the Congress to approach this
problem with a view to correct
ing the fundamental shortcomings
in the present farm program ra-
ther than patching it up with
makeshift legislation.
Defects Outweighed.
In spite of the shortcomings of
the present Joint Resolution, II
have decided that the urgent need
for the relief which it will give
to cotton producers. and the prom
Use which it holds out for making
some improvements in the potato
program, outweigh the defects Of
the measure.
The principal relief provided is
in the form Of additional cotton
acreage allotments. The cotton
acreage allotment system was re-
vised by the Congress last year.
In that legislation against the
advice of the Secretary of Agri-l
culture. the Congress adopted an
allotment system based primarily
upon the farmers acreage of crop
land.
The legislation provided in de-
tail the method by which allot-
ments were to be made. Just as
the Secretary of Agriculture had
warned, this legislation has had
grossly inequitable results. Some
cotton farmers were required to
make little or no reduction in
cotton acreage to comply with
their allotments, other cotton
farmers were required to reduce
their acreage by as much as 80
per cent.
The present joint resolution
merely provides additional cotton
acreage allotments for this year
to alleviate the hardship in those
cases where the reductions have
been inequitaby severe. It does
not remedy the basic defect in the
present system &. of determining
cotton allotments. Indeed, in one
respect it makes it even worse.
It provides, in effect, that cot
ton acreage which is surrendered
by one farmer and re-alloted, even
though it is not planted by any
farmer, must continue in future
years to be allotted to that same
county and State. This provision
is obviously not necessary to re-
lieve present inequities and it is
clearly unfair to areas where cot
ton farmers are being severely re-
stricted in their paintings, and
favors areas making little or nc
contribution to the reduction of
cotton production.
Urges Revision of Laws.
/ urge the Congress to revise
the permanent laws regarding the
cotton acreage allotments and
marketing quotas. Such legisla-
ton should provide for allotments
to be based primarily upon each
farmers past planting history.
Furthermore IL ShOn1d pive orny,1o