Summary of 



Adopted by 



FOREWORD 



FOUR year ago the farmers of the 

 American Farm Bureau Federation, 

 in session at the time of the attack 

 on Pearl Harbor, dedicated themselves 

 unreservedly to the task of war. To- 

 day the farmers of America can with 

 pride say they have kept that pledge. 

 The farmers of the American Farm 

 Bureau Federation again dedicate them- 

 selves, in harmony and union with all 

 American people, to the nation's new 

 task — leading a war-worn world to 

 peace. 



PARITY 



In some cases the parity formula as 

 now apfJied does not give equitable 

 treatment to certain commodities, espe- 

 cially livestock and dairy products. To 

 avoid inequities, the legislation per- 

 mitted the computation of comparable 

 prices. This provision, however, has 

 only been used in a limited manner 

 with consequent inequalities. 



We, therefore, will support the 

 present parity formula as now applied 

 to the six basic crops until such time 

 as a new formula is developed that is 

 fairer and more defensible than the 

 present parity formula for any or all 

 basic crops. 



We insist, however, that steps be 

 taken to develop immediately a plan 

 for livestock, livestock products, dairy 

 products and any other agricultural 

 commodity not fairly treated under the 

 present parity formuI^N.that will give 

 the respective commodities.^ equitable 

 treatment. 



In any consideration given to a re- 

 vision of present parity, we recom- 

 mend that care be taken that no irra- 

 tional steps be effected that will nullify 

 the government's guarantee of contin- 

 ued support prices. 



POSTWAR FARM PROGRAM 



The present national farm program 

 is the outgrowth of basic laws enacted 

 by Congress as a result of 25 years of 

 struggle for economic equality. Be- 

 cause of this basic legislation, farmers 

 are in a much more favorable position 

 now than at the end of World War I. 

 We reaffirm our support of these basic 



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laws. We recognize, however, the 

 necessity for adjustments to meet 

 changing conditions in the postwar. pe- 

 riod. 



We believe that greater emphasis 

 should be given to efforts to stimulate 

 increased consumption of agricultural 

 commodities through concerted efforts 

 of all interests in a long-time food pro- 

 gram to provide the American people 

 with an adequate diet. 



We urge the retention and strength- 

 ening of the Agricultural Adjustment 

 Act and related measures, including 

 the conservation of soil, water and for- 

 est resources ; machinery for acreage 

 adjustment; mandatory commodity 

 loans and marketing quotas for basic 

 commodities; continuation of Section 

 32 funds to promote the disposal of 

 surpluses in domestic and foreign. out- 

 lets. 



We will oppose any efforts to repeal 

 or circumvent the spirit of any agri- 

 cultural law directed toward the sup- 

 port of farm prices during the postwar 

 period. 



We recognize the importance of 

 marketing agreements and therefore 

 favor the enactment of legislation to 

 extend the benefits of the Agricultural 

 Marketing Agreements Act of 1937 to 

 any agricultural commodity. 



We reiterate our previous recom- 

 mendation for the improvement of ad^ 

 ministration and the coordination of 

 all agricultural programs and insist 

 upon continued efforts to eliminate 

 duplication and overlapping of func- 

 tions. We msist further that greater 

 authority and responsibility be vested 

 at both county and state levels in the 

 administration of agricultural pro- 

 grams. 



INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION 



This nation, through no direct 

 choice of its own, finds itself in a posi- 

 tion of world leadership which it can- 

 not avoid. To default this trust would 

 break faith not only with those who 

 have died in battle, but also with fu- 

 ture generations. 



We earnestly believe it is our solemn 

 obligation to remain the citadel of 

 democracy. One of the outstanding 

 contributions this nation can make to 

 a war-weary world is to make democ- 



racy really work here at home. 



The American Farm Bureau Federa- 

 tion has supported and will continue 

 to support aggressively the United 

 Nations Organization, the Bretton 

 Woods monetary agreements and the 

 International Food and Agricultural 

 Organization. We insist that this na- 

 tion do everything m its power to 

 make these programs work in an effec- 

 tive manner. 



The establishment of .adequate in- 

 ternational laws is essential to world 

 peace. Powers delegated to an inter- 

 national organization for the enforce- 

 ment of peace should be adequate to 

 cope with the threat of destruction by 

 the use of atomic bombs and all other 

 means of warfare without surrendering 

 the sovereignty of the respective na» 

 tions other than necessary to effectuate 

 these ends. 



We favor long-term capital loans to 

 other nations as a means of increasing 

 the productive and consumptive ca- 

 pacities of the countries involved. But 

 we do not believe that continued gifts 

 are in the best long-time interest of 

 either the nation receiving the gifts or 

 of this nation. 



We believe, however, that this na- 

 tion should furnish food and other 

 necessities of life to the devastated 

 countries to the fullest extent of our 

 ability especially this current winter. 



We strongly recommend that our 

 Department of State be strengthened 

 greatly in order to represent our na- 

 tion more adequately in international 

 affairs. We favor strengthening the 

 Office of Foreign Agricultural Rela- 

 tions of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture. 



The American Farm Bureau Federa- 

 tion earnestly recommends that this na- 

 tion place great emphasis upon the de- 

 velopment of a clear cut foreign pol- 

 icy on a non-partisan basis that will 

 be discussed freely and understood 

 clearly by the citizens of this nation 

 and the other nations of the world. 

 This foreign policy must be consistent 

 with our high Christian ideals and 

 must meet our opportunities and re- 

 sponsibilities of international leader- 

 ship. 



FISCAL POLICIES AND 

 TAXATION 



If this nation is to remain solvent 

 and meet its obligations, it is impera- 

 tive that we maintain a high national 

 income and a heavy tax program for 

 many years to come. Our national 

 fiscal policies must be handled pru- 

 dently in view of the magnitude of the 

 national debt. 



We look with disfavor upon the ac- 

 tivity of certain business and labor 



LA. A. RECORD 





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