NEW AGRICULTURE PROGRAMME

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21715, 24 February 1936, Page 11

NEW AGRICULTURE PROGRAMME

TWO fiILLS PASSED IN AMERICA REVIVAL OF PROHIBITED LEGISLATION? (UKITID FHISI ASSOCUTIOjr—COPYBNMT.) (Received February 23, 8.51 p.m.) WASHINGTON, February 21. The United States Government's substitute for the Agricultural Adjustment Administration which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, was enacted by the House of Representatives to-day by a vote of 267 to 97. A similar law with a few minor differences has already passed the Senate. It is hoped that the two versions will soon be adjusted and that a new agricultural programme will become law.

The measure passed to-day is unofficially called "the 500,000,000 dollar Soil Conservation Bill," for it allocates that amount to the Secretary for Agriculture, who in turn is authorised to pay the producers varied amounts to withdraw acreage from cultivation in the interest of soil conservation and the prevention of erosion.

Opponents of the legislation contended that it was a thinly-veiled scheme to re-enact the Agricultural Adjustment legislation, for, although the bounties are ostensibly paid to rehabilitate the nation's productive soil, they claim that the payments will be made to keep farm commodity prices high by curtail* ing the acreage planted. In fact, the bill specifically directs the Agriculture Department to incomes to pre-war parity with other economic endeavours; and whereas the former programme levied taxes against processors to cover payments to farmers, the funds for the new law will come from the Treasury.