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^^ whereby such collapse could be prevented, possibly through public works 

 or some other comparable procedure. The present job, of course, is to 

 produce more and more goods for war purposes and to restrict the use 

 of competing goods by consumers. 



As far as agriculture is concerned, there was a great deal 

 of emphasis placed upon the need for a heavy consumption of foodstuffs 

 for the general health and well being of the people in the country. 

 This would mean either some means of keeping employment at a hi^ level 

 after the war, thereby maintaining the demand for farm products, or 

 subsidizing low income families in such a way that they would have 

 plenty of food. At least one speaker was of the opinion that there was 

 less likelihood of the continuation of subsidies to the farmer in the 

 form of benefit payments and that the effort would be directed to 

 getting large quantities of foodstuffs into the hands of the consumer. 

 At any rate the production of cotton and wheat would have to be cur^ 

 tailed, but a high level of production of livestock products, fruits 

 and vegetables would be continued. The aim would be a general advance 

 in the planes of living of the American people. 



It seems to me that not enough attention was given to the 

 fiscal and other problems that would have to be faced after the war, 

 in order to service the public debt, and at the same time provide food 

 for the needy and satisfactory incomes to farmers, laborers and other 

 workers. So long as the government can increase its debt, it is pos- 

 sible, of course, to provide a temporary prosperity, or at least avoid 

 serious depression. With the necessity to spend enormous sums for war 

 -urpcGos and the likelihood that the f^i^deral debt will be do'^blcd nr 

 tripled, one wonders to what extent government spending can be continued 

 after the war in order to prevent post-war depressions. It is not at 



all unlikely 



