Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-12-22

WASHINGTON. D. C.-The prin.
c1pal crops Of the United States are
valued by the department Of agricul
ture, at the present time, at $e,148.519.
900. The same crops were valued last
year at $14.087, 100000. While the
crops raised this year are consider
ably larger than those Of last year
the aggregate value is thus nearly
five billions less.
The acreage devoted to crops this
year was 351,062,409, as compared
with 356,162,112 last year
The wheat harvest is estimated at
789,17S,000 bushels, as compared with
9g4 1926, 900 bushels in 1919.
The corn crop is reported to amount
to 374000,O00 bushels more than last
year and yet is worth over one and a
half billions less
Final estimates of crop production
and value this year includes:
Corn, a,232,367 900 bushels; $780,
121,000
Winter wheat, 5S0,513,0OO: $866,74l,,
900.
Spring wheat o9,365 900: $273,465.-
O0O
Oats. 1,524,055,0oo; $7l9,782,00o.
Barley, 2o2,o2s,ooo; s142,e91 900.
Rye, 69,3l8,0O0; $SS,6O9,O00
Flaxseed, l0990,000; $l9,413,OO0
Potatoes, 43O,45S, 900. $500,e74 900.
The plain facts 90 not speak we'll
for the host of prophets who were tell
ing the farmers eight months ago that
the only thing needed by them was
more production.
The press, which was making this
prophecy then, Is now peddling tales
of oversupply to get the farmers to
sell now. The latest trick to get tho
farmers in and keep the market low is
to make the reasonable" demand tn 1t
they market part of the crop
SENATE FAvoRs cREDir MOVE
A bill for restoring the War Finance
corporation to relieve the credit needs
of farmers has passed the senate
Senator Lodge prevented ccnsidera-
ton of the bill at the opening Of the
second session, but Northwest sena
tors hustled to get it out in regular
order as soon as possible
The passing Of the bill was some
thing of surprise to observers here,
but the explanation is not hard to find
Politicians from Nonpartisan leaguo
states realize that the hard credit
conditions were turning the attention
of the farmers more than ever before
to the remedies proposed by the Non.
partisan league. And as the pol IT,
| clans say in such emergencies, some.
thing had to be DONE" so the senate
passed this bill with great flourish
of sentiment for the farmers.
They realized that the War Finance
corporation could be prevented from
doing so much as to hurt their bank
! ing and market-gambling friends. The
| folks back home will doubtless receive
canned speeches inspired by the occa
| sion which the senators themselves
| did not have the patience to listen to-
~
THE GILBERT DECISION
The federal supreme court, by a d.
vided vote, has upheld the constitu
tionality of the statute under which
Joseph Gilbert was convicted in a
Goodhue county (Minn) court during
the war. Chief Justice White and JUS
tice Brandeis were strongly opposed
to the majority opinion.
! The supreme court, Of course, did
! not go into the facts of the case but
regarded as proved the testimony &C
cepted by the Goodhue county court
1t did not consider that the testi
mony might have Eeen influenced by
kidnapping of material witnesses
threats of violence and the genera
war hysteria. Consequently, the con
is the important thing in the decision
1t affirms that states have right
to set up standards OF loyalty to the
federal government, and of attitude t.
ward international relations Chio
Justice White, on the other hand, helt
that the Minnesota statute was an un
warranted encroachment on fedora
the part of state courts and officials tt
punish offenses that are already pun
ishable under federal law. Justice
Brandeis has consistently dissentet
from this as we'll as previous step:
taken by the court in affirming limi
tations to the constitutional guaran
tees of free speech and free assem-
blage. He points out that under tn
statute by which Gilbert was convict
ed man can be sent to prison In tim,
of peace for teaching his children tina
war is wrong
AS things now stand a citizen can b.
guilty Of disloyalty in Minnesota an,
not guilty in Illinois or Michigan
There can be as many variations o
loyalty and disl0yalty as there ar
states in the Union The gate is wild
open for state politicians to use pa
triotism for political purposes.
The supreme court has, therefore
made a decision of tremendous impo1
lance.
DISClPLINING SMALL BUSI.
NESS