Milford chronicle., 1920-10-08
Declares Definite National Auri.
cultural Policy Is Vital to
COuntry'S Welfare.
WOULD PUT END TO PRICE
FIXING OF FARM PRODUCTS
In Address Before Minnesota State
Fair Republican Nominee Shows
Profound Understanding of
Farming and Its Problems.

.~ pOICy. we must decide whether "
shall undertake to make Of the Unite
States a self-sustalning natlon-whic
means that we shall grow within OIL
own boundaries all 9f the staple foo
products needed to maintain the higl
est type OF clyillzati0n-or whethe
we shall continue to exploit our agr
cultural resources for the benefit o
our industrial and commercial life. an
to leave to pOsterlty the task Of finding
food enough, by strong arm methods
II necessary. 10 support the comm.
hundreds OF millions.
81 believe in the seff-sustalninc. in
dependent, ssif-relisnt nation, aarieul
turaily, lndustrally and politically
We are then the guarantofs OF our OWL
security and are equal to the task"
So declared Senator Harding in a
mastery address before the Minnesota
State Fair here. in which he revealed
most profound understanding of
agriculture, its problems and its rela-
lion 10 The farmer and the consumer in
the cities. This speech has been de
scribed as the greatest speech on asrl-
Presidential candidate.
Among other things he said:
"A good many years ago Chinese
philosopher uttered a profound truth
when he said The well-brine of A
people is like a tree; agriculture is its
ZOO. manufacture ana commerce are
its branches and its life; if the root
IS injured the leaves fail, the branches
break and the tree dies.
Cause for Concern.
II may seem strange TO many good
people hat al this particular time anv
one should quote this saying OF q wise
old Chinese. Never I'm an our history
have prices Of farm products ruled
so high, measured in dollars as during
the past four years. Farm land in the
great surplus-producing states has ad-
vanced to unheard Of prices. with
every indication thar, but for tie tight I
money conditions il would 20 stin
higher Apparently 4he farmers OF the .
land are enjoying unprecedented pros.
perity Why then, even by implica-
don, suggest that something may he
wrong with our agriculture, and that
the trouble may be communicated 10
pie In the cities are disposed TO think
that If there is anything wrong II is
in the cities where food IS selling at
such high prices and not in the coun-
try where the food is produced. But
both farm and city students Of national
problems see In the present agricul-
tural situation certain conditions
which give cause for real concern 10
every lover of his country"
He then referred in a most interest
Ing way TO the development Of the
great central west and sketched briefly
the settlement of the great central val
leys, as follows:
Through the homestead law the
government gave farm OF the richest
land 10 the world to every man who
wanted one. Railroads were built, the
orairies were plowed up. and almost
overnight the agricultural production
Of the United States increased by
50 per cent Grains were produced
and sold at the bare cost Of utilizing
he soil, and the farmers of the older
states TO the east were smOthered by
his food Of cheap grain The only
hing that could be done with this
of food was TO build
titles out Of 1t. And great cities we
lid build not only in the United
States, but across the seas"
He spoke OF tile hard conditions
which came upon the farmers OF the
entral west as a result OF their over {
and then of the gradual ,
Improvement which began about 1905,
vhen the increased population in the !
titles began 20 catch up with farm pro- I
IuctiOn. and how this increased de {
g.. 4 Il tIe. 0
reat World War G
Speaking Of the part played by the
srmer during tiie war, ne SuiG q
Splendid Part Of Farmers {
"The splendid part played by the
armers Of the nation during the war
robably never will be understood or L
1lly appreciated by our people More
nan 20 per cent OF all our fighting q
zen came from the farms, and after G
ending their sons TO the camps, the Il
sthers and mothers, with the help Of
le younger children, turned 10 and
reduced more food than was ever be- 4
)re produced in the history OF the r
orld IN the same time and from the Y
ime area of land. Their working
ays were measured not by the clock, ~
ut by the number OF daylight hours .it -,
hey took to themselves the respon- VI
bility OF feeding not only our own ~ y,
eOple, but also our allies across the VI ~
a. In more ways than one, our farm y, :"
s made the war their war, and count ~ ~
! no sacrifice too great to help fight 1t i al
rough to successful finish. The 80
ory of what they did, written by e..
me one who understands It. will 70
lrnish one OF the most glorious chap .l' m
rs in American history. One thing y,
may say--in every American con- ~ ~
ct, from the revolution for independ- ~ 80
zoe 70 the world war for maintained "a
phts, the farmer has been 100 per
nt American and ready for every
crihce." pie
lie then pointed out some OF the un- aqr
tio
'tuuate results In agriculture, grow vii
, out of war conditions, especially Of
. premium put on grain growing at zot
expense Of livestock production. cor
referred TO the heavy losses suffer bitl
by many livestock producers and IN,
ders, and pointed out the urgent anf
. Of restoring the balance between m,
stock and grain production as tbe
ckly as possible. On this subject zen
said: mn,
For TWO outstanding reasons the vii,
infenance of a normal balance be- ebo
'eh hYestock ana gram productlon are
matter Of national concern. One ehir
.hat we are 9 meat-eating people, GRO,
should have a fairly uniform sup tbes
at a reasonable price. Conditions ,vbi
ch either greatly stimulate or NOT