04 



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on 

 on 

 ri- 

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 ut 

 es 



to improve until these surpluses were dis- 

 posed of and farm prices rose. 



"This new legislation is not a perfect 

 law, but its basic purposes are right, 

 Smith said. The Secretary of Agriculture 

 under this law has much less authority 

 and power than he had under the old 

 Tripple A, charges of dictatorship to con- 

 trary not withstanding. It was not Presi- 

 dent Roosevelt who demanded this legis- 

 lation. It was not Secretary Wallace. It 

 was your own representatives who in- 

 sisted on the inclusion of marketing 

 quotas in the bill. And it is this provi- 

 sion which constitutes the basis for the 

 charge of dictatorship and regimenta- 

 tion. Farmers .wrote that section into the 

 law — not public officials. And farmers 

 themselves are going to determine by a 

 majority vote, not a minority, whether 

 or not this marketing quota provision 

 goes into eflFect. 



"The one thing I would criticize in the 

 bill is the requirement of a two-thirds 

 majority vote. Why not a simple major- 

 ity — 51 per cent? That's the way all 

 other public issues are decided. 



"We are all on the spot. This is a 

 crucial period. If we uphold this law 

 and administer it fairly it should se- 

 cure 90 per cent participation. We must 



treat every farmer fairly and give him fair 

 and honest allotments. With such treat- 

 ment nearly farmers will respond. All 

 the fundamentals we have fought for are 

 in this Act. Now it is a question of 

 administration. This is a big responsi- 

 bility, but I have every confidence in you 

 and the farmers of this state in making 

 this program succeed." 



Governor Henry Horner the first 

 speaker endorsed the new farm program 

 and expressed the belief that it will suc- 

 ceed in its purpose of conserving the 



As the Production and Carryover of Corn 

 Goes Up Beyond l\[ormal Requirements tiie 

 Amount of the Loan Goes Down; Thiniiing 

 Farmers Say ^'Why Mine the Fertility From 

 Our Soil to Produce Surpluses That Donl 

 Bring Cost of Production?'' 



soil and giving the farmer fair prices 

 for basic products. He praised the work 

 of the State Department of Agriculture 

 under Directors McLaughlin and Lloyd, 

 complimented the farmers of Illinois 

 on their fine leadership and reviewed the 

 work of his administration in abolishing 

 the state property tax, building more 

 farm-to-market roads and adjusting farm 

 debts. 



Director Lloyd reviewed the fight for 

 the farm surplus control legislation and 

 pledged the coojseration of his depart- 

 ment in making the new program suc- 

 ceed. 



Claude Wickard discussed the details 

 of the Act and its administration. "It 

 has a three-fold purpose, ' he pointed 

 out, "to conserve the soil, maintain farm 

 income, and protect the consumer. 



"Corn loans will be made only to 



those who observe their allotments of 

 corn acreage. The corn loan will apply 

 only to the normal production of the 

 base acreage of corn. If farmers of the 

 com belt fail to approve marketing 

 quotas by a two-thirds majority when the 

 question is submitted for vote then com 

 loans are automatically cancelled." 



Marketing quotas, Wickard p>ointed 

 out, means that each farmer will be 

 asked to store under his control part 

 of the surplus. This does not aflFect pro- 

 ducers who have not contributed to pro- 



>^ 



)RD 



APRIL, 1938 



11 



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