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Show Agricultural Readjustment Seen as Postwar 'Must' Farmer-Educator Stresses Need for More Efficient Farming, More Attractive Life In Order to Maintain Production. By- BAUKHAGE Npws Analyst and Commentator. r I (2) Decreasing the output per man in agriculture operations cutting down its hours or doing away with some of the mechanization. (3) Development of greater self-sufficiency self-sufficiency on the part of the farmers farm-ers themselves. (4) (Something we would hardly want to see) Immigration to less developed de-veloped countries, except, of course, in the case of places like Alaska, where there is a need of settlers. Another danger which besets the farmer and which regional planning would avert is the sense of insecurity insecu-rity on the part of the farm people, due to the tendency toward tenant operation of farms under short-time tenures, which naturally leads to inefficient in-efficient farming, bad living conditions, condi-tions, lack of continuity. Then, of course, there is the ancient an-cient bugbear of one-crop farming, partly inherited from slavery days and particularly noticeable in cotton agriculture. Another factor is the wage labor situation in particular WNC Service, Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C. Ever since the beginning of the year, Washington has realized that one of the most important problems before it is demobilization. It isn't a future problem. It's here. Nearly a million and a quarter men have already been discharged from the army and navy since Pearl " Harbor. More than 50,000 were physically "disabled," but excepting the severely wounded, most of these can be absorbed into civilian activities. activi-ties. Reconversion of our economic and social structure is beginning. Two weeks ago, I discussed at some length in this . column, the George report on reconversion. Since then has come the Baruch report on the same subject, which was rapidly followed by executive action. It looked as if congress and the White House were in a race to see who would be first to start the colossal job. localities (also a heritage of another day) which results in poor living conditions and unproductive and unsatisfactory un-satisfactory work. . Other disturbing factors are the use of submarginal lands or unsuitably located farms and then, of course, the problem of the exhaustion of resources with the counter-measure of conservation. It is pointed out that the situation which met the pioneer in America resulted in certain definite tendencies tenden-cies and traditions affecting the American attitude toward agriculture. agricul-ture. These pioneer conditions, of course, ceased when there were no more good, new lands which could , be opened up. But their effect lives on and has affected land policies ever since. Dr. Benedict lays great stress on the fact that land policies which were well suited to the pioneer do not fit in at all with our modern economy and he emphasizes heavily the need of altering the tenant-farmer situation. In the old days a man, if conditions were unsatisfactory, could pack his family and belongings in a covered wagon, cross the range and stake out a fresh claim for himself. him-self. Now, if he has no place cf his own, he has to work on someone else's terms and like it. "The past two decades have brought clearly into view," says Dr. Benedict, "... the insecurity and destructiveness of the American system sys-tem of tenancy, the rapid deterioration deteriora-tion of soils, and the increasing difficulty dif-ficulty with which able young farmers farm-ers can become established on th land." Three Improvements He believes that wise legislation could be put into action and three important improvements could be brought about: (1) Powerful incentive for the tenant ten-ant to conserve the soil since he would reap the benefits. (2) Much more careful selection of tenants, since removal of poor tenants ten-ants would be more difficult. (3) Improved community status of those tenants who become established estab-lished under arrangements of this kind. , Such is a brief summary of the goals studied in typical research now being done for the benefit of the farmer. Unfortunately, however, as 1 said earlier, politics is bound to play a powerful role in the effort to secure any "wise legislation" and, with selfish self-ish interests, will make up the chief obstacle. Circumstances will force action in regard to the reconversion and adjustment ad-justment of industry in the present session of congress but it would be an optimist Indeed who would predict pre-dict that constructive farm legislation legisla-tion could be carried out In an election elec-tion year. The farm lobby Is one of the most powerful in congress but unfortunately pressure exerted by it frequently fails to have for its objective the general good of the country. Proponents of certain measures may be really honest in expressing the wish of their particular particu-lar constituents but the farm problem prob-lem In America is so closely Interwoven Inter-woven wilh every phase of our life, social as well as economic, thai to envision It properly one roust consider con-sider the welfare of the entire nation, na-tion, not the special Interests of uiy one particular locality. While attention is being centered on readjustment of industry, less attention at-tention has been paid publicly to the necessary readjustments in agriculture agricul-ture which must come. Because many starving peoples will have to be fed for some two years after the war is over, the demand on the farmers for production of food and textiles should continue on somewhat the same basis as at present. But adjustments will have to be made whether or not this high rate of production is maintained because any changes in our economic life are bound to affect the farmers. One of the most important recent contributions to this planning for the adjustment of agriculture has been made by Dr. Murray R. Benedict, a Wisconsin farm boy who is now a professor of agriculture in the University Uni-versity of California. He points out in a very thorough study of "Farm People and the Land After the War," released by the National Planning association, that if we want our people peo-ple to be adequately and suitably fed, and if we want our farmers and farm workers to be satisfied, farming farm-ing will have to be made more efficient effi-cient and farm life more attractive both as a business and as a way of life. Political Reaction Unfortunately, there is a great dang?r that such efforts will be frustrated frus-trated owing to the very natura.1 political reaction of a democratic country, long under federal, regulation regula-tion which is necessary in wartime. Once peace returns, a free people is anxious to throw out its chest and start off lustily, paddling its own canoe again. It must be remembered that up until 1870, the condition of agriculture agricul-ture shaped the entire anatomy of the American body economic political social. After 1870, industry indus-try developed to the point where it became the tail that wagged the agricultural dog. Since 1870, the percentage of the 'population engaged in nonagricul-tural nonagricul-tural activities has remained either about stable or has shown a slight Increase. The farm population showed a decrease until now when it has become fairly stabilized at about 30 million. It would be possible, provided certain cer-tain definite steps were taken, either to increase the number of paying larm jobs or to achieve greater production pro-duction with a fewer number of workers, so that we could have more Dr less farmers, according to production pro-duction needs and still make it remunerative re-munerative to all. According to Dr. Eenedict, the normal nor-mal birth rate keeps the farm population popu-lation just about stable unless sharp shifts to and from the farm are made. The shifts do come and they throw the whole farm picture out of kilter. This is where the tail fagging the dog comes in, for, in time of depression, of course, in-justrial in-justrial workers seek livelihood on Ihe farm and, therefore, have a tcn-3ency tcn-3ency to glut the market in time of boom, the farm boy deserts the fields for the cities and the better-paying better-paying jobs. Four Major Factors There are four factors which can 'tike up or let out the slack: D A larger demand for farm products at home or abroad. |