Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-09-11
Americas Growth
fSee feature on economic
Oropth on opposite pGge.J

iSee feature on economic
OroUth on opposite pGge.)
Perhaps The Star can help
me investigate a subject that
I find both fascinating and
vital to the welfare of our Ma
ton - Americas annual
growth rate.
I ask this of you because I
seek the truth on the subject,
and because The Star has
the reputation Of being a
journalists newspaper, you
seek to avoid hidden emo
tional biases and you seek to
present facts in a manner that
will enable your readers to
make up their own minds.
The American people are
being told by the presidential
candidates and the political
parties that we must increase
our rate Of growth to match
the SO growth rate Russia
has achieved as an average
in the past 10 years.
The Democrats say that
under their last administra-
ton America grew 4.74o and
under the Republicans only
1870. One Democratic candi-
date says we should have a
SO growth rate, that ade-
quate growth precedeS in
priority a balanced budget
and control of imitation.
The Republicans say that a
balanced budget and control
of imitation are required be-
fore you can get an adequate
rate Of growth. One Repub-
lican contender says that
America should strive for SO
growth. Another candidate
says that a 3 to SO growth
rate is needed but that you
can't really compare rates Of
growth between a Communist
country and America - that
the whole discussion of ma
tional growth is rather aca-
demic and irrelevant to the
facts of life.
I for one am confused by
what the presidential candi-
dates are really talking about,
and, therefore, I hope that
maybe The Star with its pro-
fessional journalistic ap-
proach can help to clear up
this uncertain atmosphere.
Can you not undertake a
politically unbiased investiga-
ton to find out what are the
real alternative approaches
that America must choose on
national growth? Can't you
inspire honest. professional
journalists to a scientific COM
parison of what the candi-
dates are really proposing
when they talk of national
growth, what their programs
would involve, and what the
costs would be to the Amer
lean people?
AS an ex-Maryland farmer,
I am particularly bewildered
when candidates talk stimuli
taneously about decreasing
farm production and increas-
ing the national growth rate.
In the last 10 years American
farmers were increasing
productivity so while the
non-farm segment Of the
economy increased at only
$50. In other words, Amer
lean farmers are already
matching the Russian growth
rate while American industry
and labor will have to double
their output per man hour to
come even close to the Rus
slams.
Do the presidential candi-
dates intend to increase the
SO growth rate of American
farmers and get even larger
unusable agricultural sur
pluses, or do they intend to
decrease the agricultural
growth rate?
If the presidential candi-
dates would become specific
on American farming and ma
tional growth rates, through
the inspiration that a jour-
nalistic crusade for truth and
the facts could provide, then
maybe America viii have a
farm program that all pa.
triotic Americans can support
1000 along with a national
growth rate that will get
America in high gear and the
communists way behind swal-
lowing our dust.
Rufug Wehh.