Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-04-23
MONDAY, APRIL %, 1917.
wv UNWISE PROPOSALS.

Some of the measures that have been
suggested as parts of the campaign to
bring about a greater production of food
stuffs are unwise, it seems to The News.
either because they are unnecessary or for
the better season hat they would be likely
to lave positively harmful consequences
Conspicuous among them are the propos-
ais to guarantee minimum prices for 0
crops and to suspend the immigration laws
that we may make unlimited drafts on the
abundant labor supply of Mexico.
To The News it is no inconsiderably OBJ
lection that the guaranty of minimum
prices for food products would be in real
ity to subsidize rhe farmers for doing what
their obligation TO the country requires
them to do. The implication j. that their
patriotism is so torpid that they can be
moved to discharge their patriotic duty only
by appealing to their cupidity. The News
believes that the farmers would be the first
to resent that implication, if it were made
explicitly.
Economically such "A measure would be
unwarranted. The News does not know
how suchia law would be executed; prob
ably the government would pay directly TO
the farmers whatever deficit might be be-
tween the guaranteed price and the price at
which he actually sold his products. But,
whatever the method, the burden would
gravitate to the shoulders of the individ-
ual consumers. The minimum price, to
operate as an inducement, must be a high
~~..n Har.a shs- - a rrana-al that Fam
inc prices be paid, regardless of whether
there should be famine or plenty. One of
the urgent needs is TO reduce the cost of
foodstuffs. How can it be done by guar
anteeing famine prices to the producersf
If there should be famine, or even scarcity.
the farmers would be assured of prices as
high as any the government would guaran-
tee, whereas if there should be plenty, the
farmer would have received his bounty from
nature, and would neither need nor deserve
an additional one from the government.
1t would be unwise 10 import large num-
bers of Mexicans for several reasons, it
seems to The News. We may safely rely
on it that whatever demand may actually
arise will attract them amply. To import
them beyond that need, a We should if we
resorted TO this artificial inducement,
would be 10 incur a serious social problem
which would give u trouble when peace
comes.
1t j. an extraordinary situation that con
fronts tho country, but We tave resources
and reserves Of energy all ndant for the
satisfaction of all its needs. Ii j. a situa-
tion which offers u the opportunity to turn
our necessities into a permanent profit.
But this can be done only by exercising all
Of our latent resources and energies, and it
will be lost if We resort to artificial slim
uli. 1t i i situation which offers Us an OPP
portunity TO form habits Of economy in con
sumption. and ii j. a situation which may
spur the farmers to an effort which will re-
veal the them possibilities they have not
thought 10 exist. These would be perma-
nent results of incalculable avlue, but if
we are to achieve them we must rely on our
reserves Of resources and energy TO satisfy
our needs.