Show j. j W WALL STREET I VIEWS ws 1 1 By James me McMullin o Financial i il Observer NEW YORK YORK The The upstate agricultural agricultural agri agri- cultural vote is likely to be a decisive decisive de de- de- de chive factor in the New York election Backstage elements enter enter enter en en- ter this picture that the average citizen citizen and and many city politicians know nothing about The key to the situation is that leaders of New w York state farm groups work together on agricultural agricultural agricultural tural issues y yar ar in and year out with remarkable harmony and sol sol- sol sol- The seven leading farm bodies New York State grange Farm Bureau federation Horticultural Horticultural Horticultural tural society Vegetable Growers association Federation of Home Bureaus league and Grange League Federation Exchange Exchange Exchange Ex Ex- Ex- Ex change maintain a joint New NewYork NewYork NewYork York state conference board of farm organizations Every year when state party conventions are scheduled this board drafts an agricultural program for submission submission sion slon to both the Republican and Democratic platform committees with the full weight of all seven groups behind it The agricultural planks in this years year's state Democratic platform are a strikingly accurate paraphrase paraphrase paraphrase para para- phrase of the policies outlined in ina ina ina a statement by the conference board dated September 26 just before the convention The Republicans Republicans Re Re- publicans did not follow it nearly as closely Another point Governor Lehman Lehman Lehman Leh Leh- man has has' established himself firmly firmly firmly firm firm- ly as the farmers farmer's friend Ever since he took office he has been careful to consult the heads of these organizations on all agricultural agricultural agricultural tural questions and has followed their advice practically per perce ce cent t. t Naturally they rate him a aswell aswell aswell swell governor and let their followers followers followers fol- fol lowers know it Milk prices to producers not to consumers rose by more than 30 per cent from August to September Septem- Septem ber of this year The happy dairy farmers give all credit to the I Rogers-Allan Rogers milk marketing law This bill was passed because the governor brought personal pressure to bear on his party leaders leaders lead lead- ers era in the state legislature after they had originally turned it down The farm organizations know that too So G. G 0 O. P. P attacks on Lehman's Lehmans Lehmans Lehman's Lehmans Lehman's Leh Leh- mans man's agricultural policies as derived derived derived de de rived from Moscow fall on unresponsive unresponsive unresponsive ears Normally the upstate farm vote is Republican But the situation outlined above is a tremendous political political political po po- po- po asset to Herbert H. H Lehman and a corresponding handicap to Thomas E. E Dewey Y The steel industry doesn't see seem to know its mind Two weeks ago 1 a cut in sheet steel prices was an an Last week the cut wa was rescinded and the original price pric schedule restored Sheet st start itel l is taken principally by automobile manufacturers rs Inside reports are that the of price had been seriously un us by widespread chisel ing before the reduction Auto makers had staged an informal buyers' buyers strike for several months months' precisely in the hope of forcing forcing prices down Finally in their hunger hunger hun bun ger for orders steel companies here and there began making sub subrosa subrosa subrosa rosa concessions The practice spread rapidly rapidly its its it's by no means a novelty in the industry's history because of fierce competitive conditions Steel leaders decided they had better regularize the situation situation sit sit- in the interests of stability so the cut was officially confirmed No sooner had that happened than it became apparent that 4 boom was developing in the motor industry Auto officials made op 4 op op- statements Workers were rehired Production schedules were were- stepped up The steel people decided de de- they might as well cash in on this prosperity prosperity hence hence the prompt restoration of the former price for steel They figure the auto companies companes will have to buy from them at the higher quotation now New Yorkers get reports front from trustworthy scouts that Republican j can Robert A. A Taft is ms steadily gaining on Democrat Robert J 1 JI Bulkley in the Ohio senatorial contest 4 Mr Bulkley is ls nervous about his prospects He lost his tem temper publicly at a recent joint debate between the rivals The audience booed him lustily and a number of them walked out The outburst made a very bad impression j Analysis of the Ohio registration registration 1 tion figures indicates that only about 35 per cent of the W P A workers in the state will take the thel trouble to vote This is a blow to state Democratic leaders who had counted heavily on their sup sup- port There are other signs o of serious disaffection also Insiders In In- siders alders estimate that perhaps 20 per cent of those who registered as Democrats will vote for Taft and a slightly smaller percentage for John W. W Bricker G. G O. O candidate for governor If these these 1 estimates are borne out in the election the Republicans should win handily A C Copyright 1938 for The Telegram |