Evening star., 1922-02-19

tions that have been propounded and
must be answered.
Several bills have been introduced
in both houses Of Congress looking to
the stabiliEing and control Of prices
Of agricultural products. One in the
Senate introduced by Senator Ladd)
proposes that the Secretary. of Agri-
culture, the Secretary OF Labor and
the chairman of the Interstate Com
merce Commission Shall jointly es-
prices of controlled agricultural prod
ucts Of the crops Of 1928 and the three
years following" The bill proposes
that the crops of wheat. corn. cotton
and wool shall be graded and differ
entiated. The grain corporation is
directed to purchase for cash all con-
troiled agricultural products-that is,
the crops Of the years mentioned--at
established prices. based on the cost
Of production, including transporta-
for cash. or credit. any controlled ag-
ricu1tural products to domestic or
foreign manufacturers and consumers
at such prices as the corporation
deems advisable. The bill classes
these acts as war acts" thus at
The bill appropriates $l.000.000.0 900, to
be expended by the grain corporation
in such purchases.
X x
In the House two bills have been
introduced. The so-called Sinclair bill
is substantially the same as the Ladd
bill. The bill which has been consid-
cred seriously by the House commit
tee on agriculture is the so-called
Christophenson bill 'to create the
American stabilizing commission and
OF hn
of certain farm products" - namely.
wheat, rye, fax. oats, barley, buck
wheat. corn, rice, grass seed, sugar
and wool. The bill creates the Amer
ican stabilizing commission" consist
ing of the Secretary Of Agriculture,
the Secretary of Labor and the Secre-
tary of Commerce. The products men
toned must be delivered at terminal
elevators or warehouses at Portland,
Seattle, Minneapolis, Duluth. Chicago.
Buffalo. Galveston. New Orleans and
New York or any other designated
cities.
The commissions shall specify and
publicly announce the prices which
it will pay for the various surplus
products of the articles mentioned, az
nearly as possible, before the arrival
of the 1922 crops. This public an
nouncement of prices shall be made
annually and before planting season.
The prices offered may be made con-
tingent on the size of the crops,
when harvested, ito the end that the
aggregate amount to be paid for an
excessive surplus may not greatly
exceed that to be paid for an, average
surplus" In other words. the size
Of the acreage may be controlled by
the commission. The prices to be
paid for the surplus crops harvested
shall be as nearly as practicable the
average estimated cost OF production.
plus q reasonable profit. The COM
mission shall name a price to en-
courage the production OF crops of
which considerable amount is now
sugar, and discourage the produc-
tion Of an excessive and unmarked
able surplus of other products.
" The commission shall Investigate
the practibility of guaranteeing a
minimum price for all surplus mar
ketabie cotton, tobacco, hides. NUT.
ton, beef and pork. The commission
is authorized to retain or dispose of
such surplus as it deems best for the
mestic market price Is above the
guaranteed price or in case of a
shortage. to purchase and import at
the lowest price possible such prod
ucts from abroad without payment OF
duties or tariffs" and dispose at
cost to manufacturers or consumers.
The commission is given authority to
prohibit or suspend expectation OF
these products. After sixty days
be imported except under the direc-
ton Of the commission. The bill au-
thorises the commission to borrow
$500<g00,Q00 to carry out its provi.