Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-05

response to wartime policies and
laws that were too long con-
tinued. War markets are not
the markets of peacetime. Fail
Iure to recognize that basic fact
Iby a timely adjustment of war
time legislation brought its in
Ievitable result in peacetime-
SURPRISES, lower prices and lower
incomes for our farmers.
The dimensions of Govern
Iment responsibility are as broad
and complex as the farm prob
lem itself. We are here con-
|cerned not only with our essen
.tiai continuing supplies of food
and fiber. but also with a way
Iof life. Both are indispensable
to the well-being and strength of
the Nation. Consideration of
these matters must be above and
beyond politics. Our national
farm policy, so vital to the vel
fare of farm people and all OF us.
must not become a field for po-
Ilitical warfare. Too much Is at
stake.
Our farm people expect of us,
who nave responsibility for their
government. understanding Of
their problems and the will to
help solve them. Our objective
must be to help bring produc-
Etion into balance with existing
and new markets. at prices that
yield farmers a return for their
work in line with what other
Americans get. ..
No Easy Solution
To reach this goal, deep-seated
problems must be subjected to a
lstepped-up attack. There is no
single easy solution. Rather,
there must be many-sided as
sault on the stubborn problems
of SURPRISES, prices, costs and
markets; and a steady. persist
Ient, imaginative advance in the
relationship between farmers
land their Government.
In a few days, by special mes
Isage. shall lay before the Con.
lgress my detailed recommended
'Itions for new steps that should
be taken promptly to speed the
IItransition in agriculture ane
thus assist our farmers tx
achieve their fair share of The
national income.
! Basic to this program will be
a new attack on the surplus
jproblem-for even the best
conceived farm program cannot
work under a multibillion-dollar
weight of accumulated stocks.
/, I shall urge authorization OF
Ia soil bank program to alleviate
1.-THE problem of diverted acres
land an overexpanded agricul-
tural plant. This will include
an acreage reserve to reduce
! current accumulated SURPRISES
Iof crops in most serious diff
Guilty. and conservation reserve
Ito achieve other needed adjust
!. ments in the use Of agricultural
resources. I shall urge measures
to strengthen our surplus dis
posal activities.
shall propose measures tt
strengthen individual commodity
programs. to remove controls
where possible, to reduce carry
overs and to stop further accu-
mutations Of SURPRISES. shall
ask the Congress to provide sub
istantial new funds for an ex.
banded drive on the research
front, to develop new markets
new crops and new uses. The
rural development program tc
NClbEI tAiE 4Ot Vi AZ" -1IlCOl11S
farm families deserves full con-
gressional support. The Great
Plains program must go forward
vigorously. Advances on these
and other fronts will pull down
1.-THE price-depressing SURPRISES
and raise farm income.
I In this time of testing in agri-
culture, we should all together
regardless of party, carry for
ward resolutely with sound and
forward looking program or
which farm people may conf
IDENTIFY depend. now and for years
to come.
l shall briefly mention four
other subjects directly related to
the well-being OF the economy
preliminary to their fuller dis
cussion in the economic report
and later communications.