The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-03-07
BAER BILL May
| YET BE PASSED
Production of Wheat of More I'm
pOrtance in Winning the War Than
Manufacture of MunitiOns-GOv-
ernment Aids MunitiOn Makers.
HOOVER FAvORs BAER's BILL.
Bill is Re-Drafted, Asks for Twenty
Million Dollars loan Fund to Be
Administered by Federal Reserve
Banking System.

Administered by Federal Reserv
Banking System.
Washington, D. c., March 6.-Ser
;iment in the West is developing S
for the Baer Bill that tn
opinion is expressed in many quarter
hat the House Committee on Agr
culture, which failed to report til
bill on a tie vote, will reconsider il
action. It is confidently predicte
hat this bill or an amended form {
t will become a law in time to aid tn
farmers this season so that produt
Jon may be kept to a maximum.
General disappointment was felt b
hose in position to speak for tn
farmers when the news came that tn
Measure to appropriate $5O,00O,O00 t
lid in financing the farmers in seec
ng a full acreage and in purchasin
fodder for their stock had been turr
I'd down by the committee.
"The failure of the Baer bill
to be reported from the commit
tee is a blow at war production
that may do this country and it's
allies more real danger than a
! disastrous defeat on the western
'front.'" said President A. c.
Townley, of the National Nom
partisan League, in an interview
published generally in the news
papers of the east.
More Important Than Munitions.
"There is real need for finan-
cial aid to farmers. Without it
our farm production is bound to
suffer. Wheat is more important
than munitions in winning the
war. Food Administrator Hoov-
er in the hearings earnestly sup
ported the bill and said food was
vital problem and that we
should not fail in the production
of single acre. Congressman
Baer produced irrefutable evil
dence showing that we would fail
on the production Of a great many
acres unless some relief was
forthcoming.
"Yet in the face of this, the bill
: fails in Committee because Sec
retary Of Agriculture Houston
spent several hours in talking
against it. He is reported to
have said that ut is poor business
lending money to farmers on
credit"
"Does he NEAR that it is poor
business for the government to
increase crop production, even if
they lost some money by so do
ing, or that it is "poor business
for the private farm mortgage
associations and the banker?
MunitiOn Makers Got Loan.
"The government found it nec-
essary to loan a great many
millions Of dollars to munition
makers and ship-builders. Aid
of the same sort is necessary to
insure the greatest possible farm
production.
Farmers Of America are pa
triotic. Despite sharp reduc-
tion in the price of their principal
product, and unfair marketing
conditions and an inadequate sys-
TEN of distribution, they will con-
tinue producing crops to the linn
it of their ability. But their ag-
gregate production will be handi-
capped as the result of this short
sighted failure to recognize their
needs.
Secretary Houston may discov-
er that it was his blind and big
oted opposition to this meas
ure and not the farm aid itself
that is poor business
Congressman Baer introduced
this bill with sincere desire to
speed farm production and help
win the war;" President Townley
concluded. every loyal Amer
lean will regret that business
considerations have blocked his
efforts"
Hoover Favored Principle.
Herbert Hoover has endorsed th
principle Of the Baer bill, to furnis
'eed and seed to farmers, where net
.ssary, on their promisory notes wit
he 1918 crop as security.
There can be no question Of doubt,
'aid Mr.. Hoover, "that we ought I
rave every acre, and quarter acre
'rops; and on this whole problem {
lelping the farmers to finance the
seed / felt very earnestly q mont
lgo that Federal action was necei
,ary. ] think at the moment that
'equires q little inquiry as to how ia
ocal initiative is going to solve th
problem, or q great deal Of it, br
hat Is the only reservation ! hay
IS TO its necessity right now.
81 rhould like perhaps, to see th
Measure Of Representative Bae
ldopted, 70 assist through the fan
oan bank, y that i N engine o. POI
'ibilty q distribution mueh bsttl
IN = ~ mod a sesnt /
III &