398 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



children. Will we some day get a farm xerogram that makes possible 

 fair exchange clear across the board ? 



Some people will not agree, but family-type farmers in general 

 want a stabilized economy. They want to know in advance of planting 

 and breeding time what they can except for their production. 



They want a fair relationship between their work and investment 

 and those of other people who produce the things farmers want to 

 exchange for. That is supposed to be parity. Fair exchange is 

 another word for it. That is the kind of a farm program farmers 

 want. We do not see any sense struggling, fighting, working for any 

 other kind. 



There are at least 4,000,000 of us farmers producing food for sale. 

 We are not organized. We have no marketing organization strong 

 enough to market our products on a stabilized basis. The world, 

 and surely America, needs our food. We produce in abundance, or 

 try to, no matter what we get for it. We believe in abundance. 80 

 after the bitter experience of the past we have arrived at the con- 

 clusion in which nearly all farmers concur — that it is a proper func- 

 tion of Government to help stabilize agriculture in the public interest. 



Then why not do an effective job? That means full parity — fair 

 exchange — if the best interests of farmers, business, labor, and con- 

 sumers are to be served. That is wiiat we would like to have done. 

 The Brannan proposals as amplified by the Farmers Union's recom- 

 mendations discussed by Mr. Patton and Mr. Talbott will at least 

 be a good beginning. 



Maybe I should say a word about regimentation. You hear that 

 term used whenever someone advocates something that will help make 

 democracy work for the rank and file of people. 



Even the proponents of the 1948 Agricultural Act have raised 

 a hue and cry about regimentation. Speaking from a farmer's view- 

 point, there are no provisions in either the Brannan or Farmers 

 Union proposals that worry us in that respect. 



As a matter of fact, there is perhaps more regimentation involved 

 in operations of the present 1948 Farm Act. For the 1950 operations 

 under the 1948 Farm Act will use both marketing quotas and acreage 

 allotments as an integral and mandatory part of securing even 72 

 percent supports. In addition, it includes all the regimentation 

 and regulation that past farm programs have required. 



On the other hand, with the equitable relationships provided for 

 in the new proposed programs together with use of incentives when 

 found desirable, it is most likely that shifts in farm praduction can be 

 brought about on a voluntary basis with a minimum of regulation. 



There will be no dictation — no arbitrary unreasonable provisions. 

 The thing to remember is that the cornerstone in our farm program 

 is the local farmer elected committees. 



They can always be the contact and medium to keep the farm pro- 

 gram responsive to the needs and desires of the farmer on the land. 

 The key to successful cooperation with Government set-ups of any 

 kind must depend on decentralization of policy and administration 

 and building up local understanding and responsibility in the aims and 

 needs of all Government programs. To be ultimately successful, 

 policy-making must stem from the grass roots up — not from the top 

 down. We will never need to fear regimentation if that policy be 

 adhered to. 



