The producers news., 1922-08-18

/ to the cost of living above fair
prices"
Oh, but the defenders of the bill
will say, "We are protecting Ameri-
can labor" God save the mark!
1t has been shown i'm this de-
| bate time and time again-that
| American labor is the cheapest
labor i'm the world. The American
worker gets more money in his
pay envelope ON Saturday night
than the foreigner, but the Ameri-
can produces so much more than
the foreigner that the labor cost
per unit is lower in this country
than abroad.
MELLON GETS PROTECTION
The Aluminium Trust produces ev-
cry ounce of aluminium made in this
country. Secretary of the Treasury
Andrew Mellon is the Rockefeller of
the combine and through it has be-
come one of the worlds rich men.
The trust started in 1888 with a
paid in capital of from 100000 to
100000. Besides paying handsome
dividends it has accumulated in 81
Years assets valued at S110,883, ,461.
The president of the concern says
that net earnings for the 10 years
ending December 81, 1920, "have av-
eraged in excess of s10,00O,0O0 per an
num-"
The trust can produce aluminium as
cheaply as any of it's foreign rivals,
but nevertheless it has been enjoying
a tariff of cents a pound on ingots,
and this is the way 1t works:
Alumium ingots cost IS cents a
pound in England. Freight to New
York is 2 cents and tariff cents,
making total of % cents.
The trust, guided by our Secretary
of the Treasury, makes the American
price Fl cents, thus barring its for
eign rival and making American con-
su1ners pay all the tariff and half the
freight The government gets no
revenue.
The trust is not satisfied, and it
has persuaded the Senate to increase
the rates on sheets and circles and
aluminumware. The latter item goes
from 20 to 80 per cent.
/ Il adopted this will give the trust
monopoly not only of the produc-
tion of aluminium, but of it's manu-
facture into articles of household use.
/ KELLOGG GOES HOME.
Senator Kellogg of Minnesota, has
] gone home to fix up his fences as
best he may and give the impression
of a record that will in some manner
)! impress the farmers of Minnesota.
One of his misfortunes as compared
With other G. o. P. senators is that
his opponent is not a democrat If
he were a democrat, Kellogg could
fasten a lot Of democratic blunders
and crimes on him. It is also un-
fortunate that Shipstead, the rival, is
a clean cut political opposite.
! KeIIogg's plan is said to be to stress
The low fixed price for wheat under
the democratic administration during
the war. This argument has danger
GUS points because Herbert Hoover,
the man primarily responsible for IN
mum price sits in Harding's cabinet.
Organized farmers protested and
offered to accept this price if reIa-
tive prices were fixed on what the
famer had to buy. Kellogg protested
the price on wheat in a manner too
quiet to be heard but he did nothing
to even un the score for farmers in
the way of relative maximum prices
on trust products.
He has fought hard here for the
interests which put him in office, but
it IS time for his tyne to pass. Min
nese'a farmers have had no reason
for expecting service from him.
Representative Davis of Tennessee
Gives Ford Credit for Saving
| on
He says:
GAS a matter of fact, Fords offe1
(for Muscle Shoa]s) has made pos.
,, sihle the saving of the tremendously
! valuable plants. Credit is due tt
!, : him for making possible the compile
+io7 Of Muscle Shoals. IF the value
of the property had not been forcibly
!, demonstrated by a substantial bic
from such a reliable source the en-
tire project would have been iunket
J by those now IN authority, in accord
> ance with their original purpose"
HOME OWNING
The census bureau reports that tht
total number of homes not on farm,
! IN the United States in 1920 was II.
= GOO 000 OF which 1.195,O00 or 1919 pe1
:, cent. was owned by the occupanr=
. Of these owned homes, 2,855, 900, 80
per cent, We're mortgaged.
!, Information regarding the value o
: tie homes and the amount of mort
gage debt was obtained from 7.se3,
, 600. or 66.2 per cent, of the mortpag
, ed homes. The total mortgage deb
on the mortgaged homes not o,
farms in 1920 was estimated a
> 5000 100000 and their total value a
:. s11 O99 100000, the ra' IL of debt t,
value being 42.6 per cent. This wa
r an increase in the ratio Of debt t,
value from 1913 per cent in 1890.
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