Show National Topics Interpreted b by William Bruckart f D C. C rational National Press Building Wa Washington D. D Almost Washington Almost Almost before its operation is well st started the new federal crop law Crop Law appears to be bog- bog Bogs Boes Down e ging ne down down- From what I hear around the offices of sen senators and md representatives at the Capitol there is plenty of rebellion ag against the law which Is supposed to plan agriculture agriculture agriculture ag ag- ag- ag on a scientific basis Indeed Indeed Indeed In In- deed if one reads some of the letters letters letters let let- the conclusion is inescapable in that Secretary Wallace and his scIentific scientific scientific planners are going to have more trouble than a one-armed one paper paper paper pa pa- per hanger In administering th that law It is is difficult to provide a clear elcar analysis of the trouble because of the complex character of the law the confusion as to what can and can not be done under its provIsions provisions provisions provi provI- the varying attitude of the farmers who are its beneficiaries or its victims according to their views The problem of telling what Is wrong is m made the more difficult because practical people seem to be unable to get anywhere in their efforts efforts efforts ef ef- ef- ef forts to get the tile scientific planners to recognize human nature as well as the m material forces th that must be considered in farming I have t talked with a number Dumber of Department of Agriculture people individuals who are supposed to understand understand understand un un- un- un the crop control law They are most most- convincing the pen pen and and and- ink sketches that they have made ie leave ve only the question as to as-to to the there re reaction of human buman beings The department department de de- propaganda surely is sufficient sufficient suf suf- to smother any criticism It Itis Itis Itis is formidable But it also leaves that question of human relationships relationships relationships relation relation- ships wind and weather to be de de- de Even in that regard every every ev ev- ev- ev every ery now and then Secretary Wallace Wallace Wallace Wal Wal- lace issues a statement or or- orm m makes a speech which seems to do away with any possibility of trouble from those Influences In the meantime however the cotton growers of the South went into a rebellion about the acreage allotment They succeeded in getting getting getting get get- ting rather in forcing Secretary Wallace to obtain congressional action ac ac- action tion allowing for an increase of 2000 acres ft of of production this year He went after that legislative action as an emergency and there was plenty of sentiment In congress for it because as a n matter of cold act fact there is a very large majority In hi the house and senate who doubt that the new v crop control law is goIng going goIng go- go Ing to work To the request for additional additional additional ad ad- acreage therefore there was only a little objection since additional additional additional ad ad- acreage meant an obvious J increase in general production with th the chance for increased return to the farmers who grow the cotton Only lately another tidal wave of ot rebellion developed It came carne from rom the corn farmers They had received received received re re- re- re their allotments of acreage and like the cotton farmers they found themselves between the upper upper upper up up- per and nether millstones Their rebellion surely lent credence to statements in debate when congress was considering the bill that it conferred conferred con con- erred more power power on a federal agency than ever ought to be conferred conferred con con- erred in a free country and that there was no possibility of this power pow pow- er being exercised wisely since none knew its scope The cotton and corn revolt therefore would seem seem to support assertions in the senate J that the two chief sponsors of the bill Senators Pope of Idaho and McGill of Kansas had no understanding understanding under under- standing of the measure they were fighting lighting for A At least the explanations explanations they made never were able to permeate what I am pleased to refer reer refer re re- fer er to as my brain r f r S l i The corn protestors made their first concentrated move only recently recent recent- ly at Ma Macomb comb Ill Farmers and the sum and Protest substance of that meeting seems to tobe tobe be that those farmers have had their bellies full of compulsory crop con con- They called it un-American un they described it as ruinous and pledged united action against its r continuation Of course no one in Washington can tell exactly how many farmers are in sympathy with the position taken at the Macomb meeting There are counties in what is s designated as the corn area Whether er there Is a large majority against the compulsory dictatorial type of law or whether there Is only a sizable sizable siz siz- siz able minority can not now be accurately accurately ac ac- ac- ac stated It can be stated as os a definite fact however that farmers do not spend their money to go several hundred miles for a meeting of protest unless they are being badly damaged Communists and other radicals would go dashing anywhere re to hold a protest meeting but farmers arc are not built that way So the Macomb meeting must be betaken betaken betaken taken seriously It must be given Additional weight as well because it followed on the heels of heated protests pro tests from the cotton growers As to the number of farmers represented represented rep rep- resented in the Macomb meeting th that Is to say the farms and farmers farmers farm farm- ers represented by that protest It might be enlightening to quote here the published of Claude R R. R Mr Wick is a divIsional divisional divisional di di- visional AAA director and one a of the really close advisors to Secretary Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary Wallace S Said Mr Complaints have come corne against the corn allotments as high as 1100 from one county Obviously there could not be th that many complaints from more than thana a limited number of counties But even if it l there are only half hall that number number num num- ber of protests protest's from any considerable ble number n of counties the representatives representatives representatives and senators who voted for that legislation are bound to get plenty plent of kicks in the pants next November And the plight of those members of the house and senate appears to be made worse by the statement attributed to the DepArtment Department Depart DepArt- ment meat of Agriculture b by Representative Represent Represent- Andresen of f Minnesota Apparently Apparently Apparently Ap Ap- Ap- Ap Mr Andresen had been getting baskets full of kicks about the acreage allotments and went to the department to find out the facts He returned to tell his colleagues on the floor Ioor of the house The administration AAA will not yield an inch The allotments have been made according to law lawand lawand lawand and the farmers can take them or leave leav them In that statement it seems to me me there is unbounded arrogance and Mr Andresen did the country a service when he repeated it t to the house of representatives It is an attitude of the dictator of the worst sort of regimentation and it bears out the very thing which Senator Borah of Idaho predicted would happen happen happen hap hap- pen when he opposed the legislation Senator Borah's blast in hi the deb debate was of course branded as the criticism criticism cism of a Republican and it was his colleague Senator Pope the Idaho Idaho Idaho Ida Ida- ho New Dealer who was running about the country last year as the chief member of a committee of senators which was drumming up sentiment for the legislation before the extra session of congress called last November By way of prediction I think there can be no doubt that the wheat farmers will find themselves shocked instead of their wheat when they get their acreage allotments allotments allotments allot allot- ments later They will find that the law is compulsory not one of free operation co-operation as advertised when the bill was being d debated bated in congress What is the reason for these conditions conditions conditions con con- Why is there rebellion among the farm farm- Why the ers when accord- accord Rebellion tag hig to Secretary Wallace t the there h e r e ewas ewas was a great majority for application application application tion of o-f the crop control provisions Frankly I believe there are several several several sev sev- eral factors to be considered as having having having hav hav- ing Influenced the passage and subsequent subsequent subsequent sub sub- sequent application of the compulsory sory regimentation In the first instance it is quite apparent now that many representatives representatives representatives represent represent- and senators were subjected to red hot steam from professional farm lobbyists from Secretary Wallace Wallace Wallace Wal Wal- lace and his lobbyists and from the minority of farmers who wanted something anything that would cause the government to pay them money That belief is predicated upon a knowledge that the V vast 1st majority majority majority ma ma- of the farmers are too busy with their own affairs to be active in politics The legislators thought they were doing what the farmers wanted them to do In the second place there surely W was much misrepresentation about the legislation At all times and andon andon andon on all occasions Secret Secretary Wallace and those who were seeking to put over the legislation vigorously s stressed r the h sta statement ement that the he pro pro- v visions ol of the plan were voluntary I There was to be no compulsion in it the farmers themselves were to decide the department here in Washington would do exactly what the farmers wanted All of which is very well and good except that the farmers were not informed how much pressure could be exerted to tomake tomake make them volunteer They either had to volunteer or find they could market none of their product without being penalized What is the result going to be Congress soon will be quitting for forthe forthe forthe the year and there is no of an any amendment that will wm alter the situation unless situation unless something intervenes intervenes intervenes inter inter- venes to keep congress in session far Into the summer months The only thing to look forward to then Is the result of the f fall elections If the revolt that is represented by bythe bythe bythe the protests of the cotton and corn farmers is widespread it will show up In the votes at election time Those who fought so h hard for it in congress will meet trouble in prImaries primaries primaries I maries and In the election as well To me however there is an added l significance These protests reveal a growing sentiment among farmers farmers farmers farm farm- ers a resentment against having the federal government bureaucrats run the farms from rom Washington O p Western Newspaper Union |