The Tomahawk., 1922-03-02


gave valuable support to the farmer
demands for price sterilization, in
hearings before the senate agricul'
tural committee.
Edgar Wallace, legislative represen'
tative of the American Federation OF
Labor made a stroog plea in person
as Gid Albert Fechner, member of the
executive board Of the international
Association of Machinists.
Among those who sent in letters to
be read on the subject were:
w. S. Carter, president Of the Broth.
erhood of Locomotive Firemen and
Enginemen.
G. M. Bugniazet, vice president OF
the International Brotherhood of Elec.
trical Workers..
William H. Johnston, president of
the International Association Of Ma
chinists.
J. w. Kline, president CT the Broth:
erhood of Blacksmiths.
E. J. Marion, president of the Order
of Railroad Photographers.
Sidney Hillman, president of the
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of
America.
James H. Maurer, president of the
Pennsylvania State Federation OF La
Dor.
1--WE believe" said Wallace, 'that
the government must stabilize farm
prices in order that agriculture and
industry may recover.
''The whole economic world is in
dislocation and confusion. There is
no precedent to guide our action in
furnishing relief. Experiment is justi-
fed. Hesitation may be worse than
frank experiment.
This splendid action by labor on an
issue that means so much to farmers,
indicates how the sentiment for farm
er-labor cooperation is growing labor
ranks. 1t also indicates that labor
has grasped the significance of farm
price sterilization for it's own welfare.
Vital to Labor, Also.
In launching the plan for reviving
the grain corporation stabilize prices,
President Townley of the Nonpartisan
league pointed out that other classes
of society with the exception of some
big business elements could not pros
per so long as the farmer could not
buy and that price sterilization would
be a guarantee for the worker against
a wheat famine.
Recent spectacular increases in the
ger. Prices increase not merely be-
cause the spectators now wish to in
crease the values Of their holdings but
because without sterilization acute
wheat shortage and wild speculation
is inevitable.
HARDING FOR SALES TAX
After much sparring around by Sec
rotary Of the Treasury Mellon for a
sales tax to finance the soldier bonus
and after the usual announcements Of
"those close to the administration"
had failed to arouse congressional en-
thusiasm, the president has felt it nee
essary to give out direct, open letter
on the matter. He says:
81 find myself unable to suggest any
commendable plan other than that of
a general sales, tax. Such tax will
distribute the cost of rewarding the
ex-service men in such a manner that
it will be borne by all the people
whom they served and does not com
nit the government to class imposi-
ton of taxes or the resumption of
burdens recently repealed, the main
tenance of which can be justified only
as a great war emergency"
BY the phrase "class imposition of
taxes" the president refers to the de-
mand Of progressives throughout the
nation that the bonus should come out
Of the war profteers who took advan-
tage of the soldiers and the rest Of us
during the war. And by Resumption
of burdeng' he refers to the demand
that the excess profits tax be restored.
Unless there can be a sales tax,
Harding prefers that the soldiers be
left without a bonus for another indefi-
mite season. He thus shows that ex-
cess profits and millionaire incomes
and estates have a prior claim in ad-
circles to the claim of the
soldiers.
Postponement Likely.
Postponement may be the course
congress will take. With election so
near western congressman in whose
progressive farm organiza-
lions have exposed the sales tax,
would not dare to vote for it. On the
other hand, the most reactionary of
them would like to vote right for once
to make record to run on.
If they vote for a sales tax, they
will lose farmer votes; if they vote
Tor an excess profits tax, interests
which supply their. party campaign
funds will pull their hair out; if they
turn down the bonus, the soldiers will
give them a barrage. Little wonder
then that none of them would com.
ment on the presidents letter!
s ~ q =
ACTUALLY IL PER CENT
Interstate commerce commission re-
ports have placed the physical valua.