Evening star., 1954-01-07
Agriculture

Agriculture
The well being Of our 100
million people demands. q
stable and prosperous agri-
culture. Conversely, every
farmer knows he : cannot
prosper unless all America
prosperS. AS we seek to pro-
mote increases in our standard
of living, we must be sure that
the farmer fairly shares in
that increase. Therefore, q
farm program promoting sta
bility and prosperity in all
elements of our agriculture is
urgently needed.
Agricultural laws now in ef-
feet successfully accomplished
their wartime purpose of en-
couraging maximum produc-
ton of many crops. Today.
production of these crops at
such levels far exceeds present
demand. Yet the laws en-
couraging such production are
still in effect. The storage ia
cilities of the Commodity
Credit Corporation bulge with
surplus stocks of dairy prod
ucts, wheat. cotton. corn, and
certain vegetable oils; and the
corporations presently au-
thorized borrowing authority
$6.75 billion is nearly ex-
hausted. Some products, priced
out of domestic. markets, and
others, priced out of world
markets, have piled up in Gov
ernment hands. In a world in
which millions of people are
hungry, destruction of food
would. of course, be uncon-
Scionable. Yet surplus stocks
continue to threaten the mar
ket. and in spite of the acreage
controls authorized by present
law, Surpluses will continue to
accumulate.
We confront two alterna-
tives. The first is to impose
still greater acreage reductions
for some crops and apply rigid
Federal controls over the use
of the diverted acres. This will
regiment the production of
every basic agricultural crop.
1t will place every producer of
those crops under the domina-
ton and control of the Fed
eral Government in Washing
ton. This alternative is con-
trary to the fundamental in
terests, not only of the farmer,
but of the Nation as a whole.
Nor is it a real solution to the
problem facing us.
The second alternative is to
permit the market price for
these agricultural products
gradually to have a greater in
f1uence on the planning of
production by farmers, while
continuing the assistance of
the Government. This is the
sound approach. To make it
effective. SurpluseS existing
when the new program begins
must be insulated from the
normal channels of trade for
special uses. These uses would
include school lunch programs,
disaster relief. emergency as
sistance to foreign friends,
and of particular Importance
the stockpiling of reserves for
a national emergency.
Building on the agricultural
laws of 1948 and 1949. we
should establish a price-sup-
port program with enough
f1exibility to attract the pro-
duction of needed supplies of
essential commodities and to
stimulate the consumption of
those commodities that are
flooding American markets.
Transition to modernized par
ity must be accomplished
gradually. In no case should
there be an abrupt downward
change in the dollar level or
price supports.
Next Monday, I shall trans
NIT to the Congress my de-
tailed recommendations en-
bodying this approach. They
have been developed through
the cooperation of innum-
cradle individuals vitality in
tereSted in agriculture. My
special message on Monday
will briefly describe the con-
sultative and advisory proc
esseS to which this whole pro-
gram has been subjected dur
the past 10 months.
have chosen this farm pro-
gram because it will build
markets. protect the consum-
erS' food supply, and move
food into consumption instead
of into storage. 1t is program
that will remove the threat
to the farmer of these over
hanging surpluses, a program,
also, that will stimulate pro-
duction when a commodity is
scarce and encourage con-
sumption when nature is boun-
tiful. Moreover, it will pro-
mote the individual freedom,
responsibility and initiative
which distinguish American
agriculture. And, by helping
our agriculture achieve full
parity in the market, it