The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1920-12-31
FARMERS RELIEF
MUCH DISCUSSED
Congressman Riddick Says That
More than 500 Bills on This
Subject introduced.
COMhlTTEESCONVENED DAILY
Work of Relief is Retarded Owing to
Nationwide demand For Reduc-
ton of Cost of Living, and
Demands from Idle Work
men in Manufacturing
Districts.

Congressman Carl w. Riddick of the
Second Montana Congressional Dis
trict has been appointed to serve on a
committee for recommendations rela-
tive to the different measures and bills
now before that great body. Accord
ing to a communication received this
week from Mr.. Riddick, Congress is
facing some of the gravest problems
in the history of the body.
Being a member of the House Agri-
cultural Committee the Montana
Congressman is well acquainted with
the attitude of Congress relative to
those measures which so vitality inter-
est the farming communities of the
nation. Mr.. Riddick's letter is as fol-
lows:
"Washington, Dec. p. 1920.
81 am sure the readers of The Cou-
rier will be glad to know that Con-
gress is doing everything possible to
relieve, so far as possible. the serious
situation confronting farmers.
Even before the opening of Con-
gress, members of the Senate and
House Agriculture Committees con-
vened daily and heard much testimony
and studied methods for bringing re-
lief to the farmers of the nation who
are facing ruin.
cover 500 bills bearing on this sub
ject have been introduced. Members
of the House of Representatives who
represent agricultural communities
recently met in caucus and appointed
a committee of ten, of which | am a
member, to study the different mea-
sures introduced, and make recon-
mendations for the immediate passage
of those which it is hoped will bring
the quickest relief. Our committee
recommended the immediate passage
of three measures as emergency legis-
lation:
"First, the temporary restoration of
the Wan Finance Board to arrange
credits for foreign nations which need
u goods but have not the ready mon
ey to buy. 1t is hoped this will pro-
vide an outlet for our surplus products
and help restore those prices that have
dropped too suddenly.
Second, a temporary farmers tariff
measure, having the force of an embar-
go in some cases, to prevent the i'm
portation into the United States of
wheat, cattle, flour, corn, beans, NUT
ton, wool, cotton, and three or four
other agricultural products.
"Third, a law, providing that the
S15O,OOO 900 accrued profits of the Fed
eral Reserve Board, with the annual
profits hereafter to accrue, shall be
made permanently available for ex-
tending 9 months credit to farmers,
and 2 years credit to live stock r~aisers.
sour committee is continuing it's
work, and will recommend other legis-
lation later, probably among other
things, the doing away with grain
gambling, and providing for coopera-
tive marketing, storage and credit
agencies.
Somebody has to carry the wheat
from the day it is harvested until the
miller is ready to grind it into flour.
1t is very naturally asked, why make
it easy for middle men to secure credit
to secure credit to buy this crop from
the farmers at a low price, and to dole
it out as needed to the consumer at
high prices? Why not provide better
credit, storage and marketing agencies
for the farmer, so that he may carry
his own product until the consumer
needs 1t, and thus make a better pro-
tit on his product even while reducing
the costs to the consumer.
BILLS contemplating this r%eorgani-
cation of marketing agencies are al
ready introduced, and others are in
course of preparation. and will be Civ
en- consideration as soon as they can
be reached.
"The House Agriculture committee.
0t winch am u ponpnhnr .. ,,yn,l.,~., |
every day right through the holidays
in an effort TO properly solve these big
problems. The work is complicated
because of the nationwide demand
that the cost of living shall be reduced
and because of the further demand
from idle factories and the million
n a half of men out of work in our
cities. that their problems are even
more messing than the troubles of
the farmers"
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