The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1922-02-09
REED SAYS FARM
BLOC IS POWER
Bureau Federation Winning Fight for
Credit Law and Cooperative
Marketing Act.
THE BUREAU STANDS HIGH
The Agricultural Conference Voted
Against Government Fixing
Price for Products.

of the farm bloc in congress has been
increased by the national agricultural
conference which met in Washington
at the call of President Harding, &C.
cording to J. F. Reed, president of the
Minnesota Farm Bureau federation
Mr.. Reed has returned from the con-
ference and reported to the executive
board of the federation here.
The conference will result in real
benefits to agriculture, Mr.. Reed de-
clared. Its three big achievements he
summarized as follows:
/. Farm Credit-One result Of the
conference will be the speedy passage
of a real agricultural credit law. The
farm bureau has demanded a credit
system that will enable farmers to get
loans for IL or "a or SO months, to
suit the actual needs of agricultural
production and marketing. The con-
ference recommended establishing a
department in the federal land banks
to make these short time loans.
2. Transportation-The conference
voted overwhelmingly for the repeal of
laws guaranteeing the railroads a
fixed income. 1t also demanded i'm
mediate reductions in freight rates.,
and strongly urged the development Of
the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence water
way.
3. Marketing-The federal Coop
erative marketing bill, guaranteeing
the farmers right to market collec-
lively, is going to be passed by con-
gress. The farm bureau has fought
for that bill for year and a half;
now it is going to be passed practical
ly as the farm bureau wants it.
mo organization in Washington has
a higher standing than the farm bu-
reau, or is consulted more freely for
helpful suggestions by members of
congress-" Mr.. Reed said. "The farm
bureau has brought about new way
of doing things where agriculture is
concerned. For the first time in his
tory, the farmers have gone to con.
gress with definite program. Fol-
the first time in history the farmers
situation is understood and his de.
mands are listened to in Washington
There are mighty few people who DOM
admit that the farm bureau ha:
brought about the change.
Zone of the biggest results of thu
conference was that it made the peo
pic of the big eastern cities realize
the real condition of agriculture. L
showed them that they can't be pros
porous again until the farmer is pros
porous. Those people in the east have
not realized what has happened to thu
farmers in the last year; they have
been opposed to the relief demanded
by the farmer. The conference made
them understand that the farmer mus
have relief Immediately.
'The conference voted overwhelm
ingly against proposals for govern
ment price fixing for farm produce
Practically everybody believed tina
price fixing would be ruinous for tn
farmers. Only thirty per cent Of tn
people of the United States are far
1ners; the rest Of them are town AM
,city folks. If the government were t.
fix prices on farm crops, it would b.
more likely to fix prices to suit tn
consumers than to suit the producers
for the majority Of the voters run tn
country. The Washington conference
declared that American farmers hav
had all the price fixing they want"