Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-01-24
BuRTNESS SAYS
FARMERS MUST
Be GIVEN HELP
Congressman To Be Guided
BY Outcome Of Agricul-
tural Conference

EMST6 FN-tEHSEsFsaG. aHH 49,. N N"7fN 80 81. HEt# F.-
Gpnsressman O. B. Burtness, to
whStn the Bergen Farmers club re-
ceI3ly forwarded resolutions, urging
heEpassing of an emergency measure
oel olishtng "A minimum price on
whAat writes. in a letter just received,
ths9 he agrees fully with the assertion
taa the agricultural situation today
- most critical and alarming.
Congressman Burtness says he is
awaiting with interest the results OF
agricultural conference which
op4ned in Washington, ID. c., Monday
an4swhfch was called by Secretary Of
AL culture Henry Wallace at the
suggestion OF President Harding, and
thak he shall he glad to be guided by
th~eEresults thereof.
his letter to p. X. Holm, A. X.
EnNtad and L. E. Guam of Pekin, N.
p. and members Of the Bergen Farm-
ersS club, Congressman Burtness
writes as follows:
= Burtness Letter.
acknowledge receipt OF your
fayar of the 18th instant enclosing a
printed copy of resolutions passed by
the Gergen Farmers club on Janu-
aryaS6th, 1922, urging the passing Of
an EemerEency measure establishing
a r&Animunl price on wheat which will
coySr cost of production plus a fair
prd6t.
agree fully with the statements
coMained iQ. your letter that the agri-
cuhAlral situation today is most criti-
cakshnd alarming. 1 know something
nb< the matter from personal con-
tao& on o OF losses sustained on
tw& farms in which l am interested in
g Forks county. Everyone con-
cedes that every possible assistance
should be rendered the agricultural
conanlu nities,s, not only the growers of
wheat But also the growers Of corn,
cotton. cattle and other farm crops
and produce ate' =
The proper solution is q problem
most difficult. have given serious
study to the matter without making
any noise about it. During the war
we got the worst of it when a govern
ment could possibly sustain would be
came practically speaking. 4 maxi
nun price instead Of a minimum
price. There is. of course. no way in
which the government can establish Il
mininah I'm price except by creating an
agency of the government which must
a&ee to buy the crop at a given price,
ana then for the government itself ia
st4nd the loss II any is sustained
DHring the war no loss was sustained
bur rather u profit u to the fact
thAt the law of supply and demand, il
leh in operation, would hav given
uagf1 higher price for u wheat thar
ths fixed government price. The es'
adjustment OF such price by the gov,
erAflent would, however, in my judg.
mknt, fix THE price of all the product
used in our local consumption and
that the only loss hat the govern
mSnt could possibly sustain would be
urpn the surplus which would have
toHhe exported.
~W.Legislation of the kind proposed
wesld.fit is true. be contrary to al
presidents in peace times, ant
wonld, perhaps, not be justified as
peEynanent proposition. The presen
emergency is so serious, however
TIT we are justified in smashing pre-
/ Clients and I feel that we are en-
ti1ied to relief along some such lin
a4Esuggested by you as emcrgenc.
lSfslation.s g..
| ksH am awaiting with interest the re
suit Of the agricultural conference
c1eed by Secretary of Agriculture