The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1950-03-30
FATTENING FOR THE KILL

The Brannan Plan promises all things to men. 1t pre-
sents an alluring appeal to all groups-guaranteed income to
the farmers, cheaper food for the consumers, and an assured,
prosperous, rural market for business. Sounds just dandy,
doesn't it?
Briefly, the Brannan Plan has as it's objective an annual
farm income comparable in purchasing power to that of the
amount to over $26 billion. The producers of perishable
commodities would be paid in cash the. difference between
the support standard and the average selling price for these
commodities in the market place.
And what will all this cost us taxpayers? No one seems
to know, including even Mr.. Brannan, himself. But, authori-
cost SIS billion to $40 billion or more a year, depending upon
trends in prices, production and consumption. ,
The cost of the Brannan Plan would be added to federal
expenditures, which already are running ahead of revenue.
Government taxes of all kinds already take over 25% of the
national income. This ration is dangerously high. In the
past whenever any county has taken such a large proper
ton of income from its people the economy has begged down
step into the saddle and establish a despotic rule.
The farmer himself would suffer the most if the Bran
FOR THE KILL. In order to receive benefits, the individual
farmer would have to comply with production goals; acre
age anotments; marketing quotas; agreements and orders;
and observe soil conservation practices as prescribed by the
Under the BBrannan proposal the farmer would have to
submit to the most rigid set of controls ever imposed upon
farming. He would be placed in a strait jacket and be sub
ject to the whims and dictates Of the planners, who would
be governed strictly by political expediency rather than by
the economic welfare of the nation.
There could be but one final outcome-Nationalization
of the Land. Make no mistake, that is the ultimate goal of
the planning boys. 1t is a clever plan to get the farmers
neck into a moose, the while he is FATTENED FOR THE
KILL.
Farmers should read "The Parable of the Wild Duck, !"
written in the first half of the 18th century by Kierkegaard,
the great Danish philosopher. There is a deadly parallel to
be drawn between the plight which will be the farmers if
the Brannan plan is put into operation, and the sad fate
which overlook Kierkegaards wild duck. The parable fol-
lows:
With his mates a wild duck was flying in the Spring
time northward across Europe. During the flight he came
down in a Danish barnyard where there were tame ducks.
He ate of their corn and liked it. He stayed for an hour
then for a day-then a week-then a month-and finally,
because he relished the good fare and safety of the barn
yard, he stayed all Summer.
Then one Autumn day when the flock of wild ducks
was winging it way southwark again, it passed over the
barnyard and their mate heard their cries. His breast stirred
with a strange thrill of joy and delight, and with a great
Tapping of wings, he rose in the air to join his old comrades
in their fight-but he found his good fare had made him
fat and his muscles SO soft and flabby that he could rise no
higher than the caves of the barn.
So he dropped back into the barnyard and said to him
self, ooh, well, my life is safe here, and the food is good.
But, alas he was not safe from the man who fed him..
for he later discovered that he was being FATTENED o
H KILL George Peck