Evening star., 1954-10-16
By the Assoeiotea Press

BY the Assoeiotsd Press
INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. To-
Following is the tert of Presi-
dent Eisenhower's farm speech
here last night:
Fellow Americans:
feel a deep sense of dis
tinction in meeting so many Of
you tonight--both you, in this
great hall and those I am privi-
legged to meet by radio or televi-
sion in your home.
May I. first. on behalf Of all Of
US. pay my respects to the dis
tinguished leaders Of American
agriculture here with us this
evening. Likewise. ] salute the
leaders in research, science and
industry who are taking part
in this meeting through the Ma
tional Institute of Animal Agri-
culture.
My Principal purpose this eve
ming is to give you an account OF
this Administrations stewardship
in matters specially affecting our
agriculture community. In do
ing, so, I do not mean to imply
that our. farmers interests are
limited to farming. Far from it!
Nor is a prosperous agriculture
Of interest to the farmer alone.
The welfare of 1853 million Amer
leans is bound up with our Ma
tion's agriculture-just as every
farmer is affected by all national
and world affairs.
Our farmers, like the rest of
us. want and need peace. They
want their boys at home, not at
war. So, it is important to all
of us that the seemingly endless
war in Korea was ended IA
months ago. For the first time
in 20 years, there is no active
battlefield anywhere in the world.
Today we have peace-and every
resource of our country is being
tirelessly used to make it a
lasting peace. Today our Nation
extends the hand Of friendship
to all in the world who will grasp
it in honestly and good faith.
We will confer with any and all
If only we can have some as
surance of sincerity of purpose,
which must underlie all progress
toward permanent peace. In all
Of this, I know I speak for every
American citizen, regardless of
partisan or sectional considera-
tions.
Military Growing.
Our farmers, just as all of us,
want America strongly defended.
Using methods that assure the
least possible cost to the tax
payer, our military strength
grows daily. We have today the
strongest armed forces in our
peacetime history.
Our farmers, as all of us, want
relief from oppressive taxation.
In 81 months we have cut the
cost of Government by $11 bill
lion. This tremendous saving
made possible a tax cut of STA
billion. 1t is the largest tax cut
in hiStory-an equivalent of
about $180 for every family in
America.
Our farmers, with all of us,
demand efficient government. In
20 months, 211,0O0 excess posi-
tions have been dropped from
the Federal payroll.
Our farmers, as all Of us, want
trustworthy Governments
Government that deals quickly
and effectively with those in its
employ who are unfit, or corrupt,
or tinged with communism. Mis-
fits are being removed from SEN
sitive Government positions. New
laws passed by the 83d Congress
have powerfully strengthened
the efforts of the Department of
Justice and the FBI to deal with
the Communist menace in our
country. At this moment we are
cleaning up the windfall profit
housing scandal we found on
our doorstep.
Our farmers, and all Of us,
want a national economy strong
in all its parts. not dependent
on the froth of imitation or the
blood OF. the battlefield. We have
moved from war to peace with
out the economic collapse so
widely predicted last winter by
hopeful political pessimists. For
our Nation a sa whole. this year
1854 Is the most prosperous
peacetime year in our history.
Sympathy for Jobless.
Even so, the inevitable after
math of war and inf1ation-eco-
nomic dislocations and individ-
ual hardships-exist in some
communities and farming areas.
My heart truly goes out to every
one of our citizens who wants
to work and has no job, or who,
In other ways, suffers these
hardships. Efforts to eliminate
distress and to build enduring
economic strength in these To-
calities are being tirelessly pur-
sued. =
Peace, lower taxes, honest