The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-07-06
DOG IN THE MANGER ..
SHOULD BE OUSTED

man has just distinguished himself
as Assistant Secretary of Agricul-
ture by the energy with which he
has pushed measures for increasing
production and by his vigorous at
tack on the food spectators. AS
farmer, land owner and landlord, he
knows every angle of the farm situa-
ton, and as a result of recent Of
ficial tour through many agricultural
states he has first-hand knowledge
of present conditions. For these
reasons, The Peoples News Service
asked him for a statement on the
fundamental causes of food shortage
and what should be done to remove
them. The following authorized
statement by Mr.. Vrooman hits deep
er than anything yet that has been
said on the subject at Washington
1t is the utterance of a high re-
sponsible government official who
knows what he is talking about and
who has no respect for privilege when
it gets in the way of the peoples
necessities.
By Carl VrOOman
In addition to the emergency of
food bills in Congress, the country
is in need of land programme that
will permanently insure maximum
use of our food resources The
farmers greatest difficulty has been
inadequate facilities for marketing
and distributing his products. The
new legislation will go far toward
solving these problems, but there is
another side to the food problem.
Millions of acres of farm land
are being held out of use and other
millions of acres are being cultivated
on a wasteful and inefficient basis.
Land values have risen at an unpre-
cedented rate. They are based not
upon what it will be worth in the
present time, but on an expectancy
of what it will be worth in the fu-
ture. The farmers son or the
tenant farmer, with little or no
capital, cannot hope to acquire pos
session of farm when the price
of land is so high that his earnings
would not pay the interest on the
investment. The result is that land
remains idle or in the hands of
tenants and thousands of farmers
boys desert the country for the
city.
We cannot expect to get them back
on the land unless we hold out to
them the hope of becoming farm
owners. The economic condition
of many farm tenants is below that
of the skilled or semi-skilled day la
borer of the industrial centers.
What we need, and need badly, is
a programme of taxation which,
without throwing additional burdens
on the bona fide farmer, will place
land now idle within the reach of
limited means who possess the am
bition and the ability to cultivate
it.
A proposal has been introduced
in Congress by Senator Kenyon to
direct an investigation by the Fed
eral Tariff Commission or some 9TH
er competent body into additional
sources of revenue, including the
possibility of levying a surtax on
idle land and other natural resources
held out of use.
A doubt exists as to the possi-
bility under the Constitution of
Federal surtax on idle land. There
is sharp difference of opinion as
to whether or not such tax could
be levied. The situation should be
by an investigation and
report from some competent body.
If constitutional amendment is nee
essary it should be initiated without
delay. In the meantime, state and
local governments should direct their
attention to this phase of the food
problem and take what steps are
wise and practicable to place un-
used land within the reach of all
who are willing and able to cul-
tivate it.