Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-08
Harding Pledges
Justice to All
Continued from Page One

| Continued from Page One
cord there is no assurance for the fu-
ture.
I'VE have witnessed the restricted
| production of manufactures and Of Ia
Dor, but we have not yet experienced
| the Intentionally restricted production
of foodstuffs. Let us hope we never
may. II Is our business to produce
and conserve, not to deny. deprive or
destroy.
Opposes Paternalism
II have no thought of suggesting
that the government should work out
an elaborate system Of agriculture and
then try 10 impose it on the farmers
Of the country. That would be utterly
repugnant to American ideals. Gov
crnment patcrnalism. whether applied
to agriculture or TO any other Of our
great national industries. would stifle
ambition impair efficiency, lessen pro-
ductiou and make us nation of de
pendent incompctcnts. The farmer re-
Quires no special favors at the hands
of the government. All he needs is a
fair chance and such just consideration
for agriculture aS we ought to give to
basic indusay. and ever seek to
promote for our common good.
Senator Harding. iudorsing the
declarations Of the Republican national
platform on the subject of putting agri-
culture on n sound foundation. signifed
points which he regarded of most vital
importance to the cOuntry's welfare.
These included the need of farm rep
rcsentaton in larger governmental af-
fairs the right Of farmers to form CO.
operative associations for the marketing
of their products: scientific study of
agricultural prices and farm production
costs, both at home and abroad, with a
view to reducing the frequency Of alb
normal fluctuations here.
1--WE do not offer any Quack remedies
in this matter" the senator interjected
in reciting the pledges of the Repub-
lican party, to which he gave his hearty
assent. but we do pledge ourselves to
make n thorough study of the disease.
find out what causes it, and then apply
the remedy which promises a cure.
Would End Price Fixing Evil
I'VE promise to put an end to un-
necessary price fixing Of farm products
and to i'll considered efforts arbitrarily
to reduce farm product prices. In times
of national crisis. when there is known
scarcity of any necessary product, price
control for the purpose of making fair
distribution of the stores on hand may
be both necessary and wise. But we
know that there can be no repeal of
natural laws-thc eternal fundamen-
tails. II the price of any farm product.
for example. is arbitrarily fixed at u
point which does not cover the cost Of
production. the farmer is compelled to
reduce the productio' of that particular
crop. This results in n shortage which
l.. ,L -, ,,.,, NI,a,,
before. and thus intensiiics the danger
from which it was sought to escape.
Government drives against food
prices such as we have experienced dur
ing the past two years are equally vain
and useless. Such drives simply give the
speculator and the prOiiteCr additional
opportunities to add to their cxactions.
while they add TO the uncertainty and
encouragement under which the farmer
is laboring during this period of read
juStment.
Farm Loans Pledged
The senator favored the adminiStra
tion of the farm loan act so as to help
men who farm to secure farms of THEN
own and to give to them long time
credits needed to practice the best
methods of diversified farming. He
favored also the authorization of as
SoriatiOns to provide the necessary ma
rhinery to furnish personal credit to
the man. whether landowner or tenant,
who Is hampered for lack of working
capital.
He said his party did not longer rec
ogni2r the right to speculative profit in
the operation of our transportation
systems. but was pledged to restore
them to the highest state of efficiency as
quickly as possible. Agriculture. Sena
tor Harding asserted, has suffered more
severely than any other industry
through the inefficient railroad service
Of the last two years.
For an American Tariff
eve are pledged" declared Senator
Harding, "to the revision of the tariff
necessary for the preservation of the
American agriculture and American in
dustry. For permanent good fortune
all must have common interest. II
we are to build up n self sustaining ag
riculture here at home the farmer must
be protected from unfair competition
from those countries where agriculture
is still being exploited and where the
standards Of living on the farm are
much lower than here. We have asked
for higher American standaSds, lot us
maintain them.
Dwelling at length on American agri
cultural possibilities, Senator Harding
observed:
I'VE need less of grief about the ills
which We mry charge to the neglect of
our own citizenship, and more confidence