Mobilization

Millions of farmers helped to vote Franklin Delano Roosevelt into the Presidency in the belief that somehow he would put money into their empty pockets. This belief grew out of Governor Roosevelt's reiterated campaign promise to "restore the purchasing power of Agriculture." But the President-elect was wary never to tie himself up tight to any specific relief plan. His intention is to call all important farm leaders, spokesmen, organizers and agitators to the White House after March 4 and keep them there until they agree among themselves upon a legislative program for him to sponsor. The makings of such a program began to take definite shape last week when the National Grange convened at Winston-Salem. the National Farmers' Union at Omaha. The Grange is the oldest (66 years) and most conservative of the nation's farm organizations. Its master is Louis John Taber, a Dry Ohio Republican. This year it took the Grange ten daysto rehash its familiar problems of money, markets and mortgages. What it will probably wind up by demanding from the Democratic Administration: 1) a means of price-upping other than "stabilization" by the Farm Board; 2) the export debenture; 3) an "honest dollar"--i.e. some form of inflation to help debtors; 4) refinancing of farm mortgages by the Government; 5) a cut in War Debts in return for foreign concessions for U. S. agriculture. Master Taber is against mortgage moratoriums and farmers' marches. The National Farmers' Union (founded 1902) is aggressive, radical. Its 300 delegates at Omaha last week re-elected John A. Simpson as their president for a third successive term. He was born in Nebraska exactly one year before Calvin Coolidge appeared in Vermont (July 4, 1872). When he was seven his father was killed by lightning. He practiced law until a homestead lottery took him to Oklahoma where he still has a 40-acre farm. He has spent years rabble-rousing farmers, reminding them of their woes, prodding them to action. In the last 15 years he has made more than 4,000 speeches to them, each of which, he explains, is based on the Declaration of Independence. A farm journal in Oklahoma provides him with a comfortable living. His organization is loudly boosting him for the job of Secretary of Agriculture in the Roosevelt Cabinet.

Under President Simpson's vigorous leadership the National Farmers' Union last week went on record for: 1) remonetization of silver at 16-to-1; 2) a domestic moratorium on all debts and taxes; 3) full payment of the War Debts to the U. S.; 4) Federal refinancing of the $9,000,000,000 worth of farm mortgages outstanding; 5) licensing all dealers in agricultural products; 6) higher income taxes; 7) a $500,000 limit on all inheritances; 8) the domestic allotment plan of price upping;* 9) consideration of producers' strikes. A red-hot Roosevelt man, Unionist Simpson declared: "Low farm prices are the cause of every business failure. But now the rising sun of a new day is here for Agriculture and a Democratic Congress will soon enact legislation to aid the farmer. The farmer won a wonderful victory in the election." Strikers. Closely associated with the National Farmers' Union is Milo Reno's Farmers Holiday Association which sponsored last summer's "farm strike" in Iowa. Striker Reno's threat: "The time has come for direct action. If Roosevelt makes a misstep we'll fight him just as hard as we fought Hoover. We'll come down harder than ever." Meanwhile a farmers' march to Washington for the opening of Congress was also in the making last week. One thousand "delegates" were expected at the Capitol to petition for a mortgage moratorium. In Madison County, Nebraska, where 25 trucks were hired for a six-day trip, farmers were advised to bring "plenty of blankets and money."

*The plan: Producers agreeing to cut acreage are paid a bounty which the U. S. collects as an excise tax from the processer of each product.

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