Going Forward with tlie AAA 



(Continued from page 6) 



<juotations I have just read of the sup- 

 port which both parties have given to 

 these principles. What were the Repub- 

 lican and Democratic commitments on 

 the agricultural program in the Presiden- 

 tial campaign of 1932? Among other 

 promises, the Republican platform said: 

 "The fundamental problem of Amer- 

 ican agriculture is the control of pro- 

 duction to such volume as will balance 

 Supply with demand. We will support 

 any plan which will help to balance 

 production against demand and thereby 

 raise agricultural prices provided it is 

 economically sound and administrative- 

 ly workable. ..." 

 The Democratic platform said: 

 "The Democratic party solemnly prom- 

 ises . . . extension and development 

 of the farm cooperative movement and 

 effective control of crop surpluses so 

 that our farmers may have the full 

 benefit of the domestic market . . . 

 The enactment of every constitutional 

 measure that will aid the farmer to re- 

 ceive for basic farm commodities, 

 prices in excess of cost." 



Both Parties Committed 



Here again we have both major parties 

 committed to the principles advocated by 

 your organization, ample precedence for 

 the support which both the Republican 

 and Democratic state organizations gave 

 to the principles of surplus control in 

 the recent conventions held at Peoria and 

 Springfield respectively. 



I have stated on numerous occassions 

 and am glad to repeat again that through- 

 out our fight for surplus control legis- 

 lation during the past ten to twelve years 

 the Illinois delegation in Congress, re- 

 gardless of party, has supported, almost 

 unanimously, the measures we advocated, 

 delivering more votes for the Agricul- 

 tural Adjustment Act and the earlier sur- 

 plus control bills than any other state. 

 We have true friends in both major 

 parties, and we pause at this time to 

 express our thanks and gratitude for the 

 splendid support they invariably have 

 given us. 



With this record of party commitments 

 together with statements of those holding 

 positions of greatest responsibility and 

 trust since 1926, how can any candidate 

 for high office but a demagogue put forth 

 efforts for the consideration of surplus 



control legislation as a partisan issue? 



It would seem that nothing more need 

 be said about the efforts of your organiza- 

 tion to keep the farm problem on the 

 high plane of economic consideration and 

 clear of partisan debate. 



Now, getting into the program itself, 

 I would be the last one to detract from 

 any rightful credit the present administra- 

 tion should receive for its friendly con- 

 sideration, acceptance and administration 

 of a program recommended by the or- 

 ganized farmers of this Nation. The fact 

 remains, however, that the Agricultural 

 Adjustment Act of 1938 originated with 

 your national organization. . . . 



The purpose of the AAA of 1938 is 

 to provide farmers with an opportunity 

 under the guidance and with the support 

 of government to control specified farm 

 crop surpluses so as to make possible 

 orderly marketing and to prevent their 

 otherwise bearish influence upon price 

 levels of seasonal or annual surpluses. 

 To accomplish this purpose, loans are 

 available to cooperators and in the case 

 of corn the amount of loans are deter- 

 mined annually by the volume of produc- 

 tion. 



Only to the extent necessary to permit 

 these surpluses to later find market out- 

 lets at reasonable price levels, farmers 

 are provided with an opportunity through 

 acreage allotments to adjust the produc- 

 tion of given crops the amount of such 

 reduction in each case to be determined 

 by the volume of the surplus and poten- 

 tial demand then existing. 



Marketing quotas are to be established 

 for a given crop only when production 

 plus carry-over reaches excessively high 

 levels and then only when approved by 

 two-thirds of the farmers producing such 

 crop. 



Improves Soils, Too 



Boiled down, this is the purpose of the 

 AAA of 1938, and it provides the ma- 

 chinery for its accomplishment. Under- 

 lying the surplus control features of the 

 Act is the authority for improving soils 

 through intelligent conservation practices, 

 particularly those portions of the farms 

 that from time to time are taken out of 

 production during the adjustment pro- 

 grams. 



Is there a thinking farmer in this 

 audience or in this state who is prepared 

 to oppose the very defensible purposes of 



this Act? Has anyone suggestions to 

 offer for improvement of the authorized 

 machinery for carrying out the purpose 

 of the Act? 



No one should or can successfully deny 

 that weaknesses or errors have developed 

 in its administration, but shall we con- 

 demn the Act because of weaknesses or 

 errors that have developed in its adminis- 

 tration, or shall we give our full support 

 toward the correction of such weaknesses 

 or errors and improve the machinery of 

 administration ? 



Your organization, and I hope the 

 thoughtful farmers of this state, recognize 

 the pressure upon all those who have 

 been charged with its administration. 

 I do not offer this as an excuse for mis- 

 takes but rather as a basis for fair con- 

 sideration of the merit of the legislation 

 and for the courtesies that you or I would 

 want extended had we been charged with 

 the administration of the collosal under- 

 taking in a widespread country like the 

 United States with only a few weeks, if 

 not days in some instances, to make prep- 

 aration for its administration before the 

 planting season. 



Must Correct Errors 



Your organization has been on the job 

 from the beginning in support of the en- 

 actment of this legislation and has 

 watched carefully every phase of its ad- 

 ministration. Some corrections have al- 

 ready been made in early weaknesses that 

 developed. Conferences have been held, 

 and others will be held to determine 

 how best to correct errors that have come 

 to light during this first year's adminis- 

 tration of the law. 



I do not hesitate to mention some of 

 the more important things that must be 

 corrected. First, there was delay in the 

 announcement of allotments and genera! 

 regulations for 1938. I am sure this will 

 not happen in 1939. In fact, I will be 

 greatly surprised if any farmer who wants 

 to know, does not have his allotment and 

 fully understand his opportunities for co- 

 operation in 1939 previous to the first 

 day of next year. 



Second, the inflexible principles upon which 

 was determined individual farm allotments. 

 Opinion is greatly divided as to what should 

 be done. The position of your organization 

 is to greatly minimize the use of history in 

 the determination of such allotments and in 

 its stead to use both the percentage of til- 

 lable acres and degree of fertility on the farm. 



I am sorry I cannot at this time speak with 

 definiteness as to what we might anticipate 

 on this matter. I am glad to state, however, 

 that your organization and the state adminis- 

 trative committee of the AAA are in full ac- 

 cord with efforts to solve this troublesome 

 question in line with the suggestions men- 

 tioned. 



Now a word about the farm program and 

 its relation to the coming election in Novem- 

 ber. Unless the political campaigns in Illinois 

 are conducted differently within the next few 

 weeks than we have been forced to witness 



20 



I. A. A. RECORD 



