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PAPERS OF HENRY A. WALLACE
SERIES X: WRITINGS
SPEECHES
BY WALLACE

1937

MsC 177

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Go to Speeches by Wallace 1923 to 1933, 1934 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950-1964

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Box List

Series X: Box 31

1937

January 1. Statement for the New Year

January 1. Statement for the New Year

January 7. Statement on the administration of the Agricultural Conservation Program

January 12.  "The Rural Resettlement Administration of the Department of Agriculture." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

January 22. "Farm Tenancy." Radio address

          Description of a tenant farmer's troubles, uncertainty, etc.; farm ladder doesn't work as it used to; importance of fight against tenancy

January 23.  "Rural Poverty." Address before the Third General Assembly of the Council of State Governments, Washington, D. C.

Department of Agriculture has helped top third of farmers a lot, very little to bottom half; why this is so; possibilities of this consuming market for industry; relation of poverty on farms to soil conservation

January 26.  "The Ever-Normal Granary Above and Below the Ground." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

January 28.  "Making the Ideal Practical." Address before the Annual Meeting of the Illinois Agricultural Association, Chicago, Illinois

Four possible futures for farm families depending on Resettlement Administration; no easy solution

January 28. Statement on the Agricultural Adjustment Administration soil conservation program

February 2.  "The Ever-Normal Granary and Livestock Production." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

February 3.   "The Problem of Balance in Modern Civilization." Address before the Economic Club of New York, New York City

Industry should turn out gradually increasing quantity of goods year to year; need to keep point of view of General Welfare; can we catch vision?

February 7.   "The Jewish Dream and the American Dream." Address before the National Conference for Palestine, Washington, D.C.

February 8. Address before the Conference of Farm Organization Leaders, Washington, D.C.

Outline of plans for permanent farm legislation

February 8.  "The Creditor Position of the United States"

February 9.  "The Farm Leaders Meeting. "  Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

Series X: Box 32

February 11. "Agriculture and Trade Agreements." Statement before the Senate Finance Committee on the bill to extend the Trade Agreements Act of 1934

February 16. Statement on the 1937 Department of Agriculture Yearbook

February 18. "The Goal of Balance and Stability. "  Address as part of a radio discussion on economic and social relationships, with Harper Sibley and William Green, sponsored by the American Association of Land Grant Colleges and Universities.

Significant that three groups on same radio program; danger that these organized groups use power in extreme ways

February 23. "State Laws for Soil Conservation." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

March 1.  Address before the 1937 North American Wildlife Conference, St. Louis  Missouri

March 6. "Producer Goals and Consumer Goals." Address before the Consumer Emergency Council, New York City

March 6. "Producer Goals and Consumer Goals." Radio address - excerpts from address before the Consumers Emergency Council, March 6, 1937

March 9.  "Progress or Decline?" Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

United States Department of Agriculture celebrating 75th Anniversary; what will things be like on l00th anniversary in 1962?

March 15. Statement on sugar

March 16.  "Quality in Foods and Feeds." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

March 22. Address before the Annual Meeting of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, Richmond, Virginia

Don't know any farmers who agree with Supreme Court that agriculture is only a local matter; time to plan ahead, long-time legislation

March 23.  "Economic Information for Farmers. Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

March 30.  "The Farmer and the National Diet." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

What better national diet would be, and what it would mean for agriculture

March 31.   "Foundations of Southern Prosperity." Address at the Second Annual Fat Cattle Show and Sale of the Twin States Livestock Association, Augusta, Georgia

Public interest is paramount in great economic problems; but Courts say they are local and outside the scope of the government; nation can go ahead if it uses resources right.

April 1. "The Impact of Technology." Weil Lecture No. 1, University of North Carolina, Chapel. Hill, North Carolina

Increase in efficiency of farmers and its effect on cities and industry; hybrid seed corn; problem of South and surplus people; poorer farmers and their children; genetic differences not great; possible to increase productivity and yet have greater insecurity; technology exalts the dominance of those already on top and makes more hopeless the position of those at the bottom of the pile; but machine should be servant and not master; 5 point program: 1. not policy of scarcity; 2. produce more; 3. don't depend on war; 4. not exports unless get paid; 5. don't condemn farm people to self-sufficing basis; we need ingenuity in social and economic field.

April 2. "The Impact of Corporations." Weil Lecture No. 2, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Importance of corporations in modern life; assets of 200 largest corporations are 70% of all corporate wealth; mistake to raise prejudice against corporations, directors are gentlemen, but haven't had enough knowledge about relation of their business to general welfare; what corporations do when consumer purchasing power fails (contrast to agriculture); farmers, laboring men and small businessmen afraid of repetition; how corporate "over-saving" helped to make Depression inevitable; evidence of instability: pig iron production; responsibility of corporations because of effect on production and prices; ordinary abuses will be dealt with by Securities and Exchange Commission but more is needed; 3 point objective: increased production, stable employment and good wages, intelligent price and wage policies; objective: price and wage policies to increase both production and consumption; parallel to old-time situation of small banks and central bank, central clearing house needed; heavy industries especially important; labor and agriculture also tend to act in such a way as to promote general "ill-fare"; over-emphasis on prices alone; can be essential unity in interests of all three groups; misunderstandings temporary, but are unimportant compared with growing appreciation of cooperation.

April 4.  "The Place of Government in a Society Dominated by Technology and Corporations." Weil Lecture No. 3, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Possibility of repetition in the 40' s of what happened in 1921 and early 30's; what should government do?; its role of policeman in the past; perhaps should help to prevent Depression rather than just clearing away wreckage afterward; new science of government beginning to appear; possible building boom, and its dangers; can stable conditions be maintained?; need answers to questions; government needs to coordinate functions of big organized groups, and also unorganized groups; obligations of under- privileged to government; "pressure game" will blow up if all groups use it; if government to be coordinator, stimulator, etc., problem of economic democracy is supremely important; the problem in industry, based on experience in agriculture; 3 guiding principles; opportunity to work out an economic democracy in the United States.

April 6. "Insects and Plant Diseases." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

Stopping scientific work would mean decline in acre yields; continuance would mean increase

April 12. "Cotton Growers' Programs and the Textile Worker." Address before the World Textile Conference, Washington, D.C.

April 13. "The Weather Bureau." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

Fluctuating weather since 1930 makes Ever Normal Granary important

April 14. Statement on the Supreme Court decision in the Wagner cases

April 17. Statement to Maine farmers concerning the 1937 Agricultural Conservation Program

April 17. Excerpts from an address before the Northeast Agricultural Conservation Conference, New York City

April 18.  "Farm and Factory: The Dawn of Group Morality." Address before the Society for Ethical Culture, New York City

"Balance of power" theory held by some businessmen, as between agriculture and labor; fan into flame small spark of initiative in those on relief; genetically they are as good as anyone else; "principles of group morality" necessary to success in economic democracy; increasing evidence of group morality; -- need of social machinery to go with it--this age combines the "new individualism" with the "new collectivism."

April 20.  "Economic Democracy in Action." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

April 26. Address before the American Section of the International Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C.

April 27. "Sand on the March." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

Series X: Box 33

April 29.  "An American Policy on Imports." Address before the National Council of American Importers and Traders, Inc., New York City

May 4. "Farm Land Values." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

Warns of farm land boom and speculative spree

May 11. "State Road Planning Survey." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

May 18.  "Grass." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

"Trees are dramatic. Grass is humble."

May 26. Text of a letter from HAW to Senator Harry F. Byrd, concerning the Resettlement project

May 26.  "Two Kinds of Pellagra." Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour

May 27. Statement before the House Agriculture Committee, concerning proposed Ever-Normal Granary Legislation

May 31.  "The Land in Flood Control. "  Address before the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Forestry Association, Cincinnati, Ohio

Land misuse and its terrible results; grass and trees, etc.

June 1. Radio address on the National Farm and Home Hour, concerning the Ever-Normal Granary

           Weather bas been variable, need to protect farmers and consumers; quotes New York farmer about Ever Normal jobs

June 7. Text of a letter from HAW to Senator Ellison D. Smith, concerning the Agricultural Adjustment Administration Soil Conservation program

June 10. Excerpts from an address before the National Association of County Agricultural Agents

June 17.  Address to 4H Club Representatives, Washington, D.C.

June 28.  "Education and the General Welfare." Address before the National Education Association, Detroit, Michigan

Danger that next depression will throw us far to the right or far to the left; education needed to prevent either extreme; role of schools in adult education; Department of Agriculture discussion groups; opportunity for educators

July.  Statement to sugar beet groups

August 3.  "Conservation and Agricultural Security." Radio address on the Western Farm and Home Hour

August 4.  "Farm Solidarity and the General Welfare." Address at the Dairymen's Co-Operative Creamery Annual Picnic, Caldwell, Idaho

August 12. Statement for the White House on cotton

August 21. Address before the Young Democratic Clubs Convention, Indianapolis, Indiana

Franklin D. Roosevelt, best friend of farmer; farmers can sympathize with labor because they work with hands, and with businessmen because they invest money and take risks.

August 23.  Greeting to seed analysts

September 11. Address before the Lehigh County Democratic Club, Allentown, Pennsylvania

National goal; (1) prices, (2) income, (3) conservation, (4) democratic process

September 14. Statement for the Community Mobilization for Human Needs

September 17. Address on Constitution Day under the auspices of the United States Constitution Sesquicentennial Commission

Tribute to Declaration of Independence and Constitution; importance of learning to live together, resolve internal conflicts; time of stress and strain, as after Revolutionary War and as in 1850-1860; better to have spirit of farmer than latter period; no dictatorship of any kind; corporations, proletariat, or any other group; labor and agriculture will both be hold accountable by consumers; principle of reconciling diverse interests must be projected forward to problems of the time; reconciliation of diverse interests great achievement of Constitutional Convention; today, supreme need of national unity; rule of force in other lands, danger to our own.

September 22.  "The United States Department of Agriculture." Radio address

October 1. "Charting the Course for Cotton." Address before a cotton trade and farmers' meeting, Memphis, Tennessee

October 2. "Farm Solidarity." Address before a farmers' meeting called by the Kentucky Farm Conference Committee, Louisville, Kentucky

October 5. "The Ever Normal Granary and Economic Security." Address on the New York Herald Tribune Forum, New York City

October 9. Statement for P. N. Joshi of India on cattle breeding in India

October 16. Statement on the Ever Normal Granary

October 16.  Interview with Marshall Peter

October.  Interview in Common Sense

Series X: Box 34

November 2.  "The Dairyman's Place in Farm Solidarity." Address before the Annual Meeting of the National Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation, Baltimore, Maryland

November 3. Statement on loans to corn crop producers

November 4. "The Power of Books." Address before the New York Times National Book Fair, New York City

Books which have changed history; stage now set for some of most powerful books which world has yet seen

November 8.  "The Ever Normal Granary: What Can it Do for the Corn Belt and the Nation?" Address before a conference of corn and livestock producers and business and labor leaders, Indianapolis, Indiana

Description of plan

November 15. Excerpts from the annual report to the President

November 16. "Thomas Jefferson: Farmer, Educator and Democrat." Address in connection with the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of the Land Grant College system and the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Monticello, Charlottesville, Virginia

Jefferson's ideas and philosophy, his faith in small farmers, in democracy, and in education were his keystone to government; his concern for the farmers incurred attack of the wealthy; feared big cities and overpopulation; fought monopolies; believed human institutions adjust to changing world; modern farm production machinery would surprise him, but economic, sociological, political consequences would disturb him. His extraordinary adaptability would help to understand modern corporations; always for that form of government serving greatest number of people, States' rights or Federal power.

November 17. Address before the Association of Land Grant Colleges and Universities

November 17. Remarks at the dedication of the Wilson and Knapp Memorial Arches, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

November 17.  "Democracy in Planning." Address before the Association of Land Grant Colleges and Universities, Washington, D. C.

November 17. Message of the President of the United States to the Association of Land Grant Colleges and Universities, Mt. Vernon, Virginia, delivered by HAW

November 23.  "A National Program for Wheat." Address before a wheat meeting, Wichita, Kansas

Now battle for "equality for agriculture"; need of solid farm front; what it means to public interest

December 1. Text of a letter from HAW to Senators James P. Pope and George McGill, concerning the proposed Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1937, S. 2787

December 5.  "Wildlife and a National Land Use Program." Radio address under the auspices of the American Wildlife Institute

December 6. "Agriculture, Business, Labor and Government." Radio address on the National Radio Forum sponsored by the Washington Evening Star

Mutual problems of agriculture, business, labor and the business recession; farmers want to know why capital is so timid; farmer's contribution to stability is Ever Normal Granary, what can labor and industry do?; can't  stop recession if each group attacks prices and returns of the others; need of wage and hour legislation, farm legislation, flow of capital, may need government spending; housing; list of 7 policies recommended to stop recession

December 17.  "New Freedoms, Responsibilities and Disciplines." Address at a dinner in honor of Luther Harr, Treasurer of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Worldwide hunger for security; demagogue could get following by appealing for higher prices for farmers, higher wages for labor; dangerous; plutogogues just as bad; capitalists need to be represented in the New Liberalism; the algebra of government economic policy worldwide hunger by appealing for labor; freedoms and responsibilities

December 19. "The Gourmet and the Farmer." Address before the Gourmet Club, New York City

Great esteem for gourmets; time was when eating was a necessity, now there has developed a spiritual side to food; bodies of gourmets may suffer in the cause of the art, but martyrs rise above handicaps; Department of Agriculture continually striving to satisfy their desires; all wealthy people ought to be regimented to eat only the delicacies, rich food, as in Germany (this would help solve the surplus problem and the farmers would love them for it), leaving for the common folk the wholesome, necessary food.

 

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