Evening star., 1922-04-23
See Dangers and Injustice
In Insurance Of Crop Values

kind OF seed, sowed II at the prop
er-time. cultivated his crop In ac-
cordance with best known rules.
harvested 1t when he should and
marketed 1t Under the best con-
ditions.
There are about six and q half
million farms In the United States.
They may average i've, persons to
q farm. Let US be liberal and
estimate that there are forty mill
lions of people upon all the farms.
Let us assume that we have pro-
vided crop insurance and Guaran-
teed the farmer against loss. But
when the crops are harvested they
must be consumed. and Isn't 1t
likely that the sixty millions or
seventy millions who do not live
on farms, but must buy and pay
: for farm products in order to sup
port life, win say to the farmers
Of the country: you've had your
innings; you have been looked
after by the government. 1t has
issued to you insurance against
loss. It's now time for US con-
sumers to have afhearing by the
government"
What are governmsnts for, any
way. unless to see to 1t that all
shall have a chance to get pie
from the pie counter? might not
these consumers ask. We insist
that the government shall issue
to us insurance policies suaran-
teeing that the farm products
which we must buy shall be sold
at fair and reasonable prices. As
Uncle Sam has nothing to do ex-
cspt to create Offices. set up bu-
reaus. hire employees, issue poll
cies and to tax the people to pay
the losses as far as they may be
able ana to mortgage the lives of
generations to come for the rest,
the government should. rs q mat
ter Of simple Justice. give every
consumer bond insuring him
against exorbitant prices for farm
products.
And when these bonds have been
issued and the consumers OF food
stuffs and users OF raw materials
have become satisfied, the farmer
will want to know what about the
thousand and one things which are
not produced on the farm, but come
from manufactures. He would
not be In such great need Of In
surance to guarantee the priceS Of
his farm products II he were not
left naked to his enemies in the
way OF costs he is compelled to pay
for labor and for all the things that
he must buy with which to operate
his farms and to raise his family.
He VIII want q government guar
antee that the things which he
buys and the labor which he must
have will be obtainable at fair and
reasonable prices.
What little logic runs through
all this brings me to the conclu-
'ssion that the government cannot
enter upon this insurance busi-
ness unless it enters upon it for
everybody and that when it does
SO enter 1t ceases to be repre-
sentative democracy and becomes
socialistic. AS It cannot be success
full II socialistic unless tt has the
power to determine what a man
best can do. it would have to be
granted this power as well as the
power to see that the man does
1t. Hence. my statement that a
change in our government. il We
are to have one, should be out
right.
The gravity of their condition
has caused farmers to grope for
remedies. Principles lose appeal
in the presence of adversely.
Temporary expediency, however.
will. not remove evils. The farmer
is. going through an Experience
that others have gone through be-
fore him. He is suffering because
the dollar that he gets for his
products is not buying q dollars
worth Of the things he must have.
Those who prefer that the god of
chance shall rule the monetary
affairs OF the world scon at pro-.
posals to stAbilise the dollar. Dar-
inr not to admit they want to
gamble and therefore desire no in
reference with their game, they
approach the proposal by declar-
ing it is not possible, yet they do
not prove its impossibility. Nearly
all disturbances arise from the
constant ductuation OF the ooilare
purchasing power. There would
be economic content among all
classes If this government would
furnish a dollar that at all times
would pay the same amount Of
debt and purchase the same
amount of commodities. That
is all the farmer wants. That is
all any one else wants. 1t would
satisfy everybody.
This would fall within the legiti-
mate functions of government. 1t
is not only q right Of govern
ment, but it's duty. to keep its
standard stable. Instead of in
surfing any one against loss, the
Congress- should stabilize its
standard dollar. By SO doing it
would bring content to the eco
nomic world.
Copyright. 1922, by Thomas r. MarsAall.