The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-09-08
DISCUSSES AGRICULTURAL PROBLEMS
Warns That Time May Come When Farms of
America Cannot Supply Sufficient Food /
for United States.
l[By Raymond Clapper, United Press
Staff CorreSnOndent

l[By Raymond Clapper, United Press
Staff Correspondent
STATE FAIR GROUNDS, ST.
PAUL, Mimi, Sept. 8.--America must
stand on her own feet, agriculturally,
iindustrially and politically, Warren
G. Harding declared in speech at
the Minnesota state fair here today
I'VE are then the guarantors of our
own security" he added.
Agriculture is menaced by evils
which demand, not quack remedies,
but careful study and proper action
the republican nominee continued.
"Unless we deal more fairly" he
warned, there may come conflict
between the organized farmers in
/, the surplus producing states and
those who insist on buying their
crops below production costs.
; 1--WE need fewer land hogs who
menace our future and more fat hogs
for ham and bacon" Harding said.
I'VE need less beguilment in culti-
waiting a quadrennial crop of votes
and more consideration for farming
as our basic industry. We need rest
iand recuperation for soil worked
out in agitation, and more and better
harvests in the inviting fields OF
mutual understanding" u.a b..
Harding put seven planks in his
agricultural platform today:
| Farm representation in govern
ment.
/ Right of farmers to cooperative
Organization.
Scientific study and action toward
Estabilizing prices of farm products
Cessation of attempts at price fix
ing on food stuffs.
Expulsion of the federal farm loan
act to aid farmers in purchase Of
land.
Most efficient transportation pos
Isihle
Revision of the tariff to protect the
American farmer.
Harding's speech today was the
, first outside Of Ohio since he became
the republican presidential candidate.
although induced to come to Mime
sofa partly because Of the political
situation here, Harding male no
reference to it or the Farmers Non
Partisan league action here. His
speech was without direct reference
to partisan politics, although he
scored the treatment accorded the
farmer in the last seven years.
| The government should do every
| thing possible toward restoring z bal
iance between livestock and grain
production to encourage a return to
diversified farming, Harding assert
! ed. America must decide whether
! the United States shall be self
sustaining nation or continue 70 OK
plot agricultural resources and leave
! to posterity the task of finding food
enough "by strong arm methods #
necessary, to feed the coming hun
dreds of millions. he declared.
'T have no thought of suggesting &
that the government should work out
an elaborate system of agriculture
and then to impose it on the farmers
of the country Harding continued.
That would be utterly repugnant
J to American ideals. Government
paternalism whether applied to agri'
culture or any other Of our great
national industries would stif1e ambi-
ton, impair efficiency, lessen produc'
, ton and make us a nation of depen'
dent incompetents. The farmer re-
uuires no special favors at the hands
of the government. All he needs is
fair chance and such just consid
Grafton for agriculture as we ought
to give to a basic industry and seek
to promote for our common good"
! Reviewing efforts of farmers tc
organize for their own protection
Harding sounded a warning for fail
treatment lest producers and con
sumers fall into a conflict.
I'VE have witnessed the restricted
production of manufacture and labor
but we have not yet experienced the
Intentionally restricted production o.
foodstuffs," he added. Let us hope
we never may"
Harding again denied he has re
Gently urged dollar wheat; taking
Icognizance for the second time of {
campaign rumor circulating in rura
regions.
Quoting census figures to show ;