The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-09-14

arbitrarily TO reduce farm product
priccB. In umes OF national cfiasa,
whom there n a known scarcity Of
any necessary product, price control
for tho purpose Of making a fair dis
tfibution Of the stores on hand may
DO both necessary and wise. But
we know that there car be no re.
peal Of natural inwa-tho eternal
fundamentals. The history OF the
lart three thousand years records the
folly OF such efforts. II h price
Of any farm product. for example, 10
arbitrarily fixed at a point which
does not cover the cost OF productions
the farmer is compelled TO reduce
tho production OF that particular
crop. This results In q shortage
which In turn brings about higher
prices than before. and thus In
tensifies the danger from which II
was sought to escape. In times past,
| many nations have tried to hold
| down living costs by arbltrnriiy fix
| efforts have failed, and have usually
brought national disaster.
Vain and Useless.
Government drives against food
| prices such as we have experienced
during tho past two years are equally
vain and useless. The oatenhible
purpose OF such drives In to reduce
the price the consumer pays for food.
The actual result In ~unjustly to de-
press for a time the prlces h farm
or receives for his grains and live
stock. but with no apprcclable re-
duction In the price the consumer
pays, Such drives simply give the
speculator and the profitecr add
tlonai opportunities to add to their
| exactiona. while they add to the un-
certainty and dlscouragement under
which the farmer is iaboring during
| this period OF reimbursement.
fifth, We favor the administration
Of the farm loan act no az 10 help
mon who farm to secure farms OF
| their own. and 10 give to them long
timo credits needed to practice the
best methods OF diversified farming.
Wo also favor the authorization
OF associations to provide the neccs-
sary machinery to furnish personal
credit to the man, whether land
| owner or tenant, who II hampcred
for lack OF working capital. The
highest type Of rural civilization is
That In which the land In farmed by
| the men who own IL. Unfortunately,
as land increases In value. tenancy
also increases.
An Increasing Evil.
This has been true throughout
history. Al the present time prob
ably one-half OF the high priced and
In the corn belt states Is farmed by
men. who. because OF lack OF capital,
find IL necessary to rent. This IN
crease In tenancy brings with II evus
which are n real to national
welfare. The and owner. especially.
II he be n Spectator who IN holding
for a profit through an advance In
| value, Ii concerned chiefly In Becur-
Ing the highest possible rcnt. The
tenant who lacks sufficient working
| capital, and who too often Is work.
ing under "a short tine lease, Is forced
to farm the land to tho limit and rob
Il OF Its fertility In order 10 pay the
rent Thus we have a sort Of con-
splraoy between h landlord and
tenant to rob the soil upon which u
national well being and indeed u
! very existence depend. Amid sue
| conditions, we have sufficient schools,
bro~kcn-down churches. and n sadly.
limited social life. We should. there
fore, concern ourselves not only In
helping men 10 secur farms OF their
own and In helping the tenant secure
the working capital he needs TO carry
on the best methods OF divernfied
farming, but we should work out a
system OF land leasing which, while
doing full justice 10 both landlord
and tenant, will n the am time
conserve tho fertility OF the soil.
Transportation Systems.
Sixth, we do not longer recognize
| tho right to speculative profit In the
operation of u transportation sys-
tens. but we are pledged to restore
them 10 the highest state OF effi-
cheney as quickly as possible. Agri-
culture has suffered more severely
tnan any other industry through the
trr,fflCiant IN llrnnd aaryira of the lngf
two years. Many farmers have in
CURED disastrous losses through TN
ability 10 market their grain and live
4! stock. Such n condition must not be
permitted TO continue. We must
bring about conditions which will
give us prompt service at the lowest
possible rates.
Seventh. we are pledged 20 the re-
vision Of the tariff as soon rs condi-
tons shall make 1t necessary tor tho
preservation OF the home market FOR
| American labor. American agrtcul-
ture and American industry. Fol- a
permanent good fortune all must
have n common interest. II WI arc
TO build up a self-sustainlng agricul-
ture here a home. the farmer must
be protected from unfair competition
from those countries where agrtcul-
ture is still being exploited and where
tne atanuhTuS OF nNluB on Tue laAhA
are much lower than here. We have
asked for higher American standards.
let US maintain them.
To Protect All.
The farmers OF the corn belt, for
example. are already threatened with
unfair competition from the Argen-
sine, whose rich soil is being exploit
cd IN needless fashion. and where the
renters who farm 1t are living under
| conditions more miserable than the
poorest tenants In the United States.
In times past. duties on agriculture
| products were largely In the nature
OF paper tariffs. for we were q great
surplus-producing nation. Now that
consumption At home Ia 10 nearly
reaching normal production. the
American farmer has a right TO I'M
sist that In our trade relations with
other countries he shall have the
sanc consideration that Is accorded
10 other industries and we mean 10
protect them all.
80 long as America a produce
the foods we need, ! am in favor OF
buying from America first. II Is this
very preference which impels de-
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