The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1922-12-13
Farm Bureau
Issues Statement
STATE ATTITUDE ON MATTERS
WHICH WOULD RELIEVE
IN CRISIS.


slider the chairman's report and to
act on questions sent out by the State
Farm Bureau Federation. This COM
December End and on behalf of the
county organization formulated the
following statement:
We believe that seldom, if ever, in
the history of this country have the
farmers faced as serious situation
as right now
The market affords us wholly in
adequate price for our products,
while high price is maintained on
all the articles that enter into the
= equipment of a farm and the main
tenance of household.
Mortgages, both on farms and on
the personal property OF farmers
have increased to an alarming ex-
tent. Many farmers have been
!. forced into bankruptcy and as for the
rest, "ir1solyent" is verdict that
would have to be rendered in the ma
iority Of cases, in all probability, II
the truth were told.
Speaking generally there have
never been as many mortgage fore
closures as now Never has the in
dustry Of farming rendered SO small
q return or come as Woefully short
of yielding living wage to its vota-
ries.
It is in view of these facts that
this committee, on behalf of the Ly-
on County Farm Bureau. presents
the following statement of the things
that it believes would help to tighten
& the unjust burden that the basic IN
& dustry of the country now carries:
l.. Realizing that in times like
y these the interests of the borrower
are of more vital concern to the
& country than are the interests OF the
man who has money to lend, we, the
Farm Bureau of Lyon County, here
by call upon the bankers of our ter
f ritory to lower the rates that they
are now paying on time deposits to
such an exent as will permit them 30
make substantial reduction in the
exorbitant rate that people in this To-
cality are now required to pay for the
lnoney they are now compelled to
borrow. We also urge upon those
who at this time are fortunately
enough situated to have money that
4 they can put out .on interest to CO.
r operate with the bankers and the
community in order that this most
important step in the direction OF
lowering interest rates may be taken
with the least possible friction.
2. Al an emergency measure, we
favor a sIablizing act that will fix a
minimum price on the major farm
products, such as grain, potatoes and
livestock, that takes into considera-
tion such elemental propositions OF
price fixing as cost of production, a
living wage for the producer and
+ that reasonable profit that the
laws and the courts of the land rec
ognize as the inherent right of every
other industry. We do not ask that
the principle of price fixing be adop-
ted as a permanent governmental
activity, but merely asa temporary
measure to save the basic industry
of the country from bankruptcy ano
to help it get back on it's feet.
81 We firmly believe in and un-
conditionally stand for the highest
measure of "home rule" compatible
with the best interests of the countr!
as q whole, therefore we favor re.
storing to our Railroad and Ware
house Commission the functions thai
body has been deprived of. We fee
that the people of the state of Min
nesota through their governmental
machinery, are better equipped tt
govern and regulate the public util
tiles within the state, that are an,
outside boards or bureaus. We lool
with suspicion upon the presen
trend to centralize all authority II
Washington.
4. We are opposed to tax-exemp
securities and demand repeal of TIN
/ law permitting the securities now ex
enapt to femain so.a The holders O.
these securities should bear thel
Just proportion of the general ia,
burden.
5. We demand the adjustment 0
the "Pittsburg Plus outrage.
6. We urge the enactment of
law, BY the coming session of tn
1 Minnesota Legislature, guaranteein'
bank deposits.
z We favor an adequate polio
of preservation of such natural re
sources as water power, forests an
mines and believes that title to sue
resources should not be permitted t
pass into the hands of private inter
ests, where such title has not alread
SO passed
s. In view of the present finan
cial stringency we are opposed to an
general bonding plan for road devel
opnaent, feeling that the present Ia
system provides as much funds a
should be spent on roads in the stat
in any one year. Owing to the
nancial condition much needed IN
provements are everywhere bein
postponed and we feel that even th
improving of the highway shoult
= under the circumstances, be keF
within safe and sane bounds.
80, We are opposed to the propt
al, advocated in some quarters Z
: removing he liability. of stockhole
ers Of co-operative organizations.
TO. We strongly favor the rec:
Establishment Of Minnesota system /
grain grading. Experience prove
that the state system, as it was &c
rninisteEd in our state, is Ear supel
ior 20 present federal system and on