Harry S. Truman photo

Remarks to Members of the Agricultural Editors Association.

May 03, 1949

Mr. Secretary, and members of the farm press:

I am most happy to have you here and to meet all of you. I know that you are interested in the welfare of the people who produce the food and clothing from the soil in this country, and I know that you are interested in the farm program.

If I remember correctly, the farm program originated after 1932, and it has been growing and improving ever since. We are still trying to improve and make it more workable, one that will create an equitable distribution of the income of the country between those who work on the farms, those who work in the processing of the farm products, and the manufacturers of the country, and those whom we call the consumers at the other end of the scale. This program is a balanced part of the internal economy of the United States, trying to get the national income so distributed that every segment of the population can have its fair share of that income.

If that is done, we have a prosperous country, and we have a sound economy, and we can face the rest of the world in a position to attain a peace that will last. That is the objective of the whole business.

I am glad you are here to discuss these questions. I hope you will listen to the Secretary of Agriculture--you no doubt already have--and he can very clearly and easily explain to you the proposals which we are making to the Congress for a continuing farm program.

That was one of the issues in the late campaign, which started in Dexter, Iowa, if I remember correctly, on a Democratic farm program. It's the Democrats always that have had the farm program, and we expect to keep on having that program. So long as we have it, we are sure that the farmers know which side their bread is buttered on, and they will still be with us as they were in this last election.

Note: The President spoke in his office at the White House at 11:40 a.m. His opening words "Mr. Secretary" referred to Charles F. Brannan, Secretary of Agriculture. The Brannan plan for stabilizing farm income had recently been introduced (see note to Item 90).

Harry S Truman, Remarks to Members of the Agricultural Editors Association. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/230249

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