The Washington times., 1920-11-15

gress.
II believe a great national confer
ence on agriculture and foodstuns
should be called and shall renew
enorts In the coming session to BRING
about this conference. Such a meet
Ing here In Washington would be of
great value, but there are some diff
hcultieS in the way of securing II In
this administration.
Legislation should be put through
to bring about an adequate and sciep-
tinc marketing system. calculated 70
stabilize the markets for the farmer
and at the same time to relieve the
consumer OF excessive prices.
MORE LIBERAL CREDIT.
"A more liberal credit system
should be brought about The farm
loan act should be broadened and i'm
proved and a system Of personal credit
should be authorized. The result of
this would be to enable the man CT
small means to get a start in the
farming industry. In livestock raising.
or some branch OF agriculture.
The tariff must be revised to meet
the needs of the farmer and protect
him against the invasion OF che ap
wheat from Canada, cheap corn from
| the Argentine. cheap products from
! Asia and other competition which
Is proving ruinous to the farm in
| terests.
with these three things accom-
plished. attention should be turned
to series Of propositions of inter-
est to agriculture. including better
rural schools. good roads and a num-
Der of other matters"
Mr.. Dickinson thinks that with
the population drifting to the cities
and leaving the farms the nation 10
headed for semi starvation. He wants
to see American agriculture so de-
veloped that II will easily support
the entire population of this country.
In MI. Dickinson's opinion. the
working out Of compr, hensive
marketing system would be of value
not alone to the farmer but to the
consumer. 1t would mean that con-
sumers in Washington and other
cities would be able to buy their
fcodstuffs without having tn m pass
through the hands Of half dozen
different dealers. each OF whom would
feel entitled to liberal profit.
PUBLIC MARKETS
Real public markets in cities
would doubtless be a part Of any
comprehensive marketing system.
Efforts will be made, in the view Of
Mr.. Dickinson. to array city against
country in Congress when serious at
tempts are made to solve the agricul-
tural and food difficulties which the
nation faces. But he believes that 1t
can be shown the interests OF the ag-
ricultural producer and the consumer
are both linked up in establishment
OF an adequate marketing system.
20
hard hit, Mr.. Dickinson says by the
refusal OF credit on the part OF Sec
retary Houston and the Federal Re-
serve Board.
This Is a serious business" said
the Iowa Congressman" II Is COM
pelling the farmers to throw their
products on the market In order to
meet their notes.
COTTON INDUSTRY HURT.
why, when I was in South Dakota
recently, found the State was being
literally stripped Of cattle. found
one man loading on cars a herd OF the
finest cattle. including many calves
and young stock, l had ever seen. I
asked him IL he were going to sell his
stock and throw a lot OF young ami
mails on the mraket. He said, the
to get rid OF my herd in order to make
the payments lie added that 1t would
take South Dakota three years to re-
cover from this blow at the cattle
industry. Meantime. meat and meat
products will be scarcer than they
are.
THE failure to handle farm credits
intelligently has adversely affected
not only the cattle country, but all
the great agricultural States"
One OF the things the farmers md
the agricultural men in Congress will
demand OF tho new administration IL
the overhauliag of the Federal To-
serve Board. On the Agricultural
Committee OF the House there will
be several vacancies in the new Con-
gress and efforts will be made to Till
these with men in sympathy With the
necessities Of agriculture.
As to the reserve board. while there
has been much talk of a dirt" farm
er for Secretary Of Agriculture, there
has been little .about having the
farmers represented on the board by
"ne OF their number. Doubtless this
nlan Will be pressed vigorously early
N al. .l..t.