Letter to Senator George D. Aiken Regarding Soil Bank Proposals.

Dear Senator Aiken:

Your letter of February seven poses a question of great importance, and I am glad to comment on it.

You know, of course, the genesis of our soil bank proposals. As long as we go on accumulating surpluses, thereby depressing agricultural markets more and more, it will be impossible for our farming people to share fairly in the nation's growing prosperity. In order to have a free, prosperous agriculture, we must deal effectively with the problem of these surpluses. It is principally for this purpose that we have proposed the soil bank.

Of course, these price-depressing surpluses themselves are largely the result of high rigid price supports of wartime, too long continued in time of peace. It would be inconsistent to enact a soil bank program and, at the same time, reestablish production incentives that would again fill government warehouses, again depress prices, and thus defeat the main object of the soil bank.

I realize that there is always room for varying opinions on how best to resolve public problems. Nevertheless, in this instance, I must say that I should be gravely concerned if the soil bank should be coupled with the restitution of production incentives certain to nullify the great benefits that the bank can bring.

With warm regard,

Sincerely,

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER