The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1922-09-22
FARMING UNDER
ESCH-CUMMINS
PRINCIPLE.

The lawyer principle in government
| has its finest fruition in the Esch-
Cummins law under which the rail-
roads of the country have been oper-
ated of late. In effect this law author
ICES the United States to operate the
railroads but at the same time permits
the roads to make the deal according
to their own standards of valuations
| for rentals. In other words it is q
case of buying the other fellows corn
according to the measure of your own
half bushel The situation is clearly
stated in an editorial article in the
Idaho Free Press in its last issue un
der the striking caption heading this
column. Every farmer and farmers
wife, as well as the children who eX-
pect to be voters, should read and
study the simple lesson in special
privilege as set forth. We therefore
reproduce it:
If the Esch-C ummins law is good
for the railroads, why would it not
also be good if applied to the farmers
operations? If applied to farming as
it is now applied to railroads, the fol
lowing is just how it would be carried
! out:
Now suppose you owned farm Of
800 acres of land, and the actual value
of your place is 500 per acre. That
would amount to an actual valuation
of $4,000, but you have the privilege
of placing your own valuation upon
your land, so you call your place
worth $500 per acre, which would
amount TO $64, 900. Now go ahead and
put this land into crop. Keep a strict
account of every bit of expense you
have in producing this crop--put in
good wages for every day spent by
yourself and family, and also hired
help, figure out a good price for every
bit of seed used on it, figure out good
pay for your teams, tractors and
everything else.
Don't use an old machine too long.
Just go into town and buy yourself a
new one. Fix up all your old buildings
and keep them in good repair: Keep
strict account of all such expenses
connected with it, such as the upkeep
and running expense of everything,
including your automobile. Figure in
your doctor bills, attorney fees, if
any, and everything else which you
spend while running that farm during
the year.
Now after you have sold everything
produced on the place during the year,
keep strict account of that, add up
what your products came to for the
year, then add up all your expenses,
including good wages for yourself and
family, hired help, ETC., and subtract
1t from the amounts of what your pro-
ducts sold for Now, add to your ex-
penses 6 per cent dividend on your
socalled valuation of $64 900 and if
the crops you have produced are not
enough to pay the whole amount, lust
send in your bill for the balance to
the government of the United States
and receive a government check, pay
able to yourself, for the balance.
That is just what the Esch-C ummins
raj road law is doing for the railroads,
and Congressman Smith and French
voted for this law.
Now, when you figure up your own
salary for managing and working your
farm, don't put it too high-say that
you fix it at $1,000 year; that will
do, although railroad president gets
from $4,000 to $4,000 per year.
The Esch Cummins railroad law
gives the railroads of this country just
such a privilege as above described
and they are taking full advantage of
it. If the law is good for the rail
roads, why would it not be a good law
for the farmers? Such special priv
ilege laws as that and the federal re-
serve bank laws have upset the
country at the present time. II is said
that 10 per cent of the merchants are
virtually bankrupt ct this time, and if
change is not made soon the farm
ers will be in the same tobogpan slide