Letter to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

My dear Mr. O'Neal:

The year just closing may go down in history as a period of special significance for agriculture. All of us want to see the nation forge ahead without economic setbacks; but experience is teaching old lessons anew about what is required if steady progress is to be made.

Once more there is being demonstrated the close connection that exists between farm conditions and national welfare. Once more a decline in farm prices is paralleled by a recession in industry. We are feeling now the loss of those recovery measures for agriculture and industry which were abruptly cast aside two years ago. I think most of us would agree that in the future it will be better to improve the instruments of progress than to discard them.

But the harsh lessons of experience will not have been in vain if the new national farm act now being shaped by Congress to maintain the soil conservation program and replace the Agricultural Adjustment Act gives farmers and consumers greater protection against extreme swings in prices of agricultural commodities. Such an agricultural program will serve the long time welfare of our farmers and the nation.

Very sincerely yours,

Mr. Edward A. O'Neal,

President, American Farm Bureau Federation,

Chicago, Illinois.