Evening star., 1921-06-19
WAYS ARE SUGGESTED
FOR AIDING FARMERS
Two Branches of the Government Consid-
ering Means of Relieving Agricultural
Conditions-Recommendations.

/ "Sic dule 10 Duy BloNeS from th1L
horsehide for s1.5o pair. Today II
they take the trouble to skin the hior
and bring it to market they get
and they pay $3.50 for the same glove.
So that where they formerly got two
| pairs or gloves or better for horse
hide they now get one pair of glcy =.
| for three horsehides
Since December the buying power os
! the farmers has been reduced almost
exactly one-third. This one third re-
ducton in the buying power of nearly
one-half the population is one of tho
main causes Of business stagnation
| and depression in other Industries. =
Farming is the biggest single IND uE-
try from the viewpoint of numbers
employed-13,000.00 men; from the
| number of people supported-abour
50,0o0,00o: from the value Of land and
equipment - about $4,000 o0o 0o0;
! from annual production - between
Sls,O00.000.000 and s25, 900. 600. 000 No
other industry could have survived
such a staggering blow as the loss
or $S,500.000. 600 in a single year. male
possible only by the fact that the
farmers own the land and produce the
food.
| Relief Methods SuSSested,
What is TO be done?" is the ques-
tion that the joint congressional CON-
| mittee must answer. Here are the
recommendations that will be made
oy those who have studied the prob
lem most closely. sympathetically and
yet considering the relation of THE
industry to the general welfare:
| First. A prime essential, which in
wolves a longtime program. is ad-
Justment of production to consump-
ton demands, SO as to insure ample
supplies without burdensome surpluses
and uneconomic waste involved in such
| surpluses
| second. Larger consumption by our
own people of the surplus production
| "hen prices are cheap as result
| OF favorable season and the law of
, supply and demand-that is, in times
! OF plenty and low prices This in.
! Guides a return to normal per capita
consumption of meats. which declined
during the war Meatless days were
ail risht IN times when it was urgent
that the supply be conserved for the
soldiers overseas. but the trouble is
the people have continued to cut con-
sumption Prices were high and the
people got out Of the habit of eating
! meat.
Third. Restriction by adequate tar,
III OF the importation of products Of
cheap labor and transportation from
foreign countries in competition with
the United States. The farmers hay.
suffered not only because of our own
surplus. but because also the ex-
change rates attracted heavy ship
ments from abroad of meats, dairy
( products. vegetable oils, wool, fruits.
nuts and other products from coun-
tries where the cost Of production in
much lower than ours.
Fourth. Better country storage fa-
cilities and credit facilities, me-
properly adjusted to the farmer
needs, SO that he will not be forcedl +.
Sell his products in a short period /.
Tune for whatever they will bring.
One OF the contributing causes of the
recent depression was that the farm
ers were squeezed for credit and
forced to let their crops go cheap.
The farmers must have long term
credits by the very nature of their
business. In other lines of business
the turnover can be made in thirty to
ninety days. but the farmers crop
represents an entire season The
proposed $50.00O,O00 relief fund is to
take care of just this situation In a
conference with eastern bankers at
the White House an agreement was
reached whereby the eastern finan-
ciers will make s25,0OO,0oO available,
with the suggestion that western
bankers make a like sum available.
The scheme is to afford ample country
storage under federal license for
staple products which are susceptible
of standardized grading. to be COW
cred by warehouse receipts having
the sanction of federal and state Lar.
which makes them gilt-edged COM
lmercial paper. Then if prices are not
right the farmer will not be forced to
sell at slump prices. but can let his
crops go gradually, at the same time
borrowing on his warehouse receipts
to finance him.
/ Fifth. Promotion of foreign trade to
afford an outlet for Americas surplus
production. by extension of the nee.
essary credits and other methods of
financing.
Sixth. Legalized collective buying
and selling through cooperative or
CARNATIONS of producers, SO that they
can no longer be arrested, fined and
imprisoned at the instance of well
lorganized, profiteering middlemen. as
mas happened recently in several
| states.
Seventh. More efficient and 'eco-
nomicAl system of marketing and dist
| tribution-so that not too much OF
any crop will go to- giut some par-
ticular market-so that large sup
plies will not have to be hauled bacis
! thousands of miles, etc.
| Eighth. Reduction in freight rates
| so as to restore the relation OF cost Of
TRANSPORTATION to the price of farm
products. At present the freight rates
are so per cent higher than before
the war, and on 1sO,oo0.00o tons OF
| farm products moved annually the
| excess cost amounts to more than
1 ST .O00. .OO0, ,O00-most of which comes !.
| out of the price the farmer receives
! for his products and tends to sustain
/ wartime prices to the consumers. -
! Ninth. A campaign Of education. to
| make business men and the public
! realize that the prosperity of agri-
I; ture is of fundamental and veal inn
portance to the general prosperity. and