Action Requested

In quick succession the President's Agricultural Conference presented its second and third reports, following its first on the livestock situation (TIME, Jan. 26). The second report dealt with proposals for legislative relief, the third with improved administration. Second Report. Legislation should take the form of: 1) Removing any obstacles to farmers' cooperatives' pooling their products, exchanging information, etc.; 2) providing Federal advice and assistance to farmers' cooperatives; 3) providing a voluntary form of registration with the Federal Government, coupled with Federal examination of books to satisfy farmers, purchasers and others, as to the good management and sound condition of cooperatives. A special board of five members--the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce and three members with salaries of $12,000-- to be chosen by the cooperatives to coordinate Federal activities as outlined above. Third Report. Efforts should be made to improve the spirit of sympathetic cooperation in Federal agencies dealing with agriculture, and to improve their efficiency by preventing jealousies and duplication of effort. Efforts should be made to strengthen the banks serving farmers, especially by enlarging the national bank system. The activities of the Government in establishing quarantines against animal and plant diseases, and in gathering market and crop information, already valuable, should be improved and extended. The Cooperative Marketing Board (suggested in the Second Report) should be empowered to represent sent the farmers before the Interstate Commerce Commission to secure more favorable freight rates. Administration of the tax law should be undertaken in a liberal spirit toward farmers' cooperatives. The Tariff Commission should aggressively undertake investigations of the needs of agriculture so that there can be prompt tariff adjustments from time to time.