<--PREV Doc #95  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #97 Document #96; March 19, 1953 To Ezra Taft Benson Series: EM, AWF, DDE Diaries Series The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XIV - The Presidency: The Middle Way Part I: Charting a New Course; January 1953 to April 1953 Chapter 2: "A number of misunderstandings": Party and International Struggles   Memorandum for the Secretary of Agriculture: Subject: Soil Conservation and Related Activities: This morning I had a long talk with Senator Carlson and Congressman Hope, both of Kansas. They advanced the idea that during the ensuing months, which they believe will be a period of relatively depressed and possibly decreasing farm prices, it would be both logical and politically wise to undertake certain necessary positive programs in the agricultural field. Their particular suggestion involves the further development of Soil Conservation Districts and Natural Drainage Areas. They point out that this is a subject upon which the public has become fairly well informed, and there is very great support for positive action both on the farm and in the city. They point out further that much could be done with very little increase in Federal expenditures; I understood them to say that it was even possible that any Federal expenditure that might be necessary could be acquired by transfer from another agricultural fund. They advocate such things as providing a greater number of supervisors and other kinds of technical help; making arrangements to guarantee local bank loans for this purpose through collection of a small insurance premium; developing of further support for the project by concerted work on the part of Cabinet officers and Congressional leaders. They pointed out that several divisions of Government would be interested, including the Army Engineers, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and possibly others. But they agreed that the Department of Agriculture would have a predominant interest in developing a program which could be worked up in very considerable detail. I told them that I would pass the idea on to you immediately, together with a request that as soon as convenient, you contact them directly in order to gather further explanation of their idea. Above all, they are convinced that this would make a splendid, positive, and popular program for the Administration to foster. Therefore they urge that we seize the opportunity and get busy.1 1 Benson would respond in a memorandum of May 5 (AWF/A). He explained that the Agriculture Department planned to spend some $54.5 million in fiscal year 1954 for soil conservation--a 2 percent drop from current spending. He also explained his opposition to spending $6.5 million for new flood control efforts. He noted that the Eisenhower Administration intended to restructure the program so as to "overcome the numerous conflicts, misunderstandings, and overlapping of authority that have prevailed in the past"; he preferred to await pending legislation that would clarify procedures and modify the department's responsibilities. Benson reported that since Eisenhower's March 19 message his staff had met with Congressman Hope, who had urged submitting a $5 million budget to begin work on numerous flood control projects in 1954. Benson favored deferring such spending, though he assured the President that his department was "vitally interested in watershed improvement and conservation." For subsequent developments see no. 418. Bibliographic reference to this document: Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Ezra Taft Benson, 19 March 1953. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 96. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/first-term/documents/96.cfm <--PREV Doc #95  |  Memorial Commission Home Page  |  First Term Table of Contents  |  Presidential Papers Home Page  |  Doc#  |  NEXT--> Doc #97

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