Evening star., 1920-09-08

frequency of abnormal fluctuations
here. Sterilization will contribute to
teyeryhodys confidence. Farmers
thaye complained bitterly OF the fire.
quent and violent fluctuations @ IN IN
prices Of live stock: They 40 not
6nd fiuctuations-such fluctuations
in the PRODUCTS of other industries
In a general way prices OF 1arm
products must 60 up There or is as plenti-
full crop or a short one The farmers
raw materials are the fertility of the
soil the sunshine and the rain; and
the size of his crops is measured by
and the skill with which he makes
use of them. He cannot control ms
Iproduction and adjust it to the de-
Imand as can the manufactured. But
he can see no good reason why the
lprices of his products should fuctu-
ate 60 violently from week to week.
and sometimes from day to day. We
Unjust get a better understanding of
1.-The factors which influence agricul-
/ tural prices, with a view to avoid.
ing these violent fluctuations ana no
bring about average prices. when
shall bear q reasonable relation to
1.-THE cost Of production. We do not
offer any Quack ren1adies in this mat
ter. but we do Naedge ourselves
to make a thorough study of the
then apply the remedy which prom
iSes a cure.
Stop Priee-EixinE.
~Fourth. we promise to put an end
to unnecessary price-hx1ng q farm
products and to ill-consideEed efforts
|arbitrarily to reduce farm product
prices. In times Of national crisis
when there is known scarcity of
~0v
for the purpose of making q fair dis
tribution Of the stores on hand may
be both necessary and wise. But we
know that there can be no repeal of
natural laws-the eternal funda-
three thousand years records the folly
of such efforts. II the price Of any
farm product for example, 10 ar&i-
trarily fixed at q point which does not
cover the cos: f, Of prednetson: ~ ~
production Of that particular crop.
This results in q shortage which in
turn brings about higher prices than
before, and thus intensifes the dan
cape. In times past. many nations
have tried to hold down living costs
by arbitrarily fixing the prices Of
farm products. All such efforts have
failed. and have usually brought ma
tional disaster.
l VAN 000 O0GN00s
| Government drives against food
prices such as we have experienced
during the past two years arc equally
vain and useless. The ostensiNle pur-
pose Of such drives is to reduce the
price the consumer pays for food.
The actual result is unjustly to de-
press for a time the prices the farm
o. receives for his grains and live
etock. but with no appPeciAble reduc-
ton In the price the consumer pays.
Such drives simply give the specula-
tor and the profiteer additional op-
while they add to the uncertainty and
encouragement under which the
farmer u laAoring during this period
of readjustment.
OF the farm loan act so as to help
men who farm to secure farms Of
their own, and to give to them long
ume credits needed to practice the
pest methods Of diversified farming.
we also favor the authorization Of
associations to provide the necessary
machinery to furnish personal credit
70 the man. whether land owner or ten
ant, who Is hampered for lack Of work
ing capitaL The highest type of rural
ls farmed by the men who own it.
unfortunately. as land Increases in
value tenancy also increases.
An Ineseasin1 Evil.
This has been. true throughout his
tory: At the present time probably
one-haf Of the high priced land In
sho % s,f'ss oi ssch < e ar%sS BY eG men
It necessary to rent. Thia increase in
tenancy brings with IL evils which
are a real menace to national welfare.
Ths land owner, especially II he hs :
through an advance In value, id corr
cerned chiefly in securing the highest
poestb4a rent. The tenAnt who Lacks
sumdent working capital. and who
eoo eften is vorking under . short
to the limit and rob 1t Of It's fertility
| m order to pay the rent Thus we
have . eort OF conspiracy between the
landlord and tenant to rob the soil
upen which our national ven being
Amid such conditions we have inefH-
6ont schools, b90ken-down chHuhea
| and q sadly limited social life. we
should. Therefore. coneern ourselves
or sf their II o%n asd %sp tn to hDas
the tenant secure tho working capi-
tai he needs to carry on the best
methods OF diversified farming, but
we should work out a system of land
leasing. which. vhile doing full JUS
| tioe to both landlord and tenant,
win at the Same time conserve the
fertility of the soil
Transportation Systems.
Sixth. we do not longer recognize
the right to speculative proht In tho
operation OF our transportation sys-
TENS, but we are pledged to restore
them to the highest state Of EN-
cheney ~ quickly as possible Agri-
| culture has suffered moro severely
than any other industry through the
| inefficient railroad service OF the last
| two yeaPa- Many farmers have in
| Cured disastrous losaoa through In
| ability to market their grain and live
| stock. Such . condition must not be
permitted 70 eoottnue. We must bring
about conditions which will give us
prompt service at the lowest pos
| sbile rates.
'SAventh. We arc pledged to the
revision OF the tariff ~ soon as con-
| didons shall make it necessary for
| the preservation Of TIA homo market
for American labor. American agri-
! culture and American industry. For
! a permanent good fortune all must
have common interest. II we are
TO build up . sch sustaining agricul-
| ture here at homo. the farmaf must
be protected from unfair competition
| from those countries where agricul-
| ture is still being exploited and where
| the standards Of living on the farm
arc much lower than here. We have
asked for higher Amseican standards:
| let saS maintain them
WIN Proteee an.
The farmers Of the corn belt, for
| e1AmpSe. are already threatened with
| unfair competition from the Argen-
| tine. whose rich soi1 Is being exploit
| ed In needless fashion. and whore
l thA' renters who faynN if o1a l1x,,no