South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-02-22

The Gronna bin to abolish the
United States Grain corporation has
been a storm center Of controversy.
u has not won support from quar-
tiers which might naturally have been
expected 20 support IT, Sen. Gronna
is quoted as explaining that the bill
- not designed 20 abolish the mini
mum guarantee. and that the gov
eminent would still be empowered
10 step IN and buy grain from time
10 time II necessary to support the
market
Sen. Gronna. who comes from an
agricultural state, obviously intend
I'd the bill 20 permit an advance in
the price OF wheat beyond the level
where grain corporation activities
are thought by many persons to
have held It, Now farmers and
grain dealers frankly raise the qUes-
ton whether the market price would
not decline below the present mini
mum II government control were
removed. Representative or GER
tain farm organizations have taken
this position. The crash in ex-
change. exports, has caused a sharp
reversal OF sentiment. The New
York Wholesale Bakers association.
however. takes an opposite view. be-
lieving that passage OF the Gronna
bill would elevate the price Of -four.
In this connection fl is interest
ing 10 note that the British govern
nent intends introducing soon a bill
TO guarantee minimum prices for
grain. the guarantee probably 70
he adjusted each year with reference
20 "a sliding scale based on cost Of
produ ction. If the bill follows close
Iy the recommendations Of the Roy
al Commission on Agriculture. it viii
propose allowing the producer an
.Llnrestricted market for his crops
but reserving for the state the right
10 control prices in case OF national
emergency.
The farmers are awaiting the out
come Of the senate investigation as
TO the extent OF loan Withdrawals
by Federal Reserve banks on grain
held in storage. The farmer will
undoubtedly feel the shoe Of credit
pinch. Just as will the food exporter.
and suffer thereby The general
credit stringency will put difficulties
i'm the way OF getting loans to carry
crops The Federal Reserve banks
disclaim any wish to discriminate
against the farmer and will hardly
seek 10 force grain out Of storage
insofar as accommodations are due 10
the car shortage and not to specu-
III.
ed with checking speculation in
farm lands and liquidatinG goods
held solely for speculative profits.
The American Farm Bureau fed
Grafton. which meets in Chicago on
March 3, TO solidify the tentative
determination outlined last November.
viii train its guns upon the high
cost OF living To that end IL will
raise a S2,O00OO fund, according
10 reliable reports. The fund will
finance united and intelligent eff
fort on the part of a closer union
between PRODUCER and consumer
through more efficient distribution.
The new federations attention to
this central problem should do much
To AltallLe the AtottdAlOi ALSttiA anu
10 commend it to the farmer and
90 the public at large.
Fourteen Of the b state associa-
lions represented at the Novem Der
meeting have ratified the fedora
tion's constitution and bylaws. and
each is TO contribute 10 percent OF
IT'S funds to the national body. The
permaneucy and efficacy OF the new
farm bureau federation seem fairly
well assured.
Sentiment at the Au-American
Farmer-LabOr Cooperative confer
cnce NJ Chicago pronouncedly ia
vored the extension OF cooperative
effort to many, if not all. fields
81 production distribution
Whether the plan there discussed.
TO unite liberals and conservatives
in farm organizations for political
action similar 20 that proposed by
the American Federation OF labor.
viii achieve positive results may
well be doubted.
CuOrTG