New Ulm review., 1922-09-13

- . .
Sept. 21. Seats now selling
moving picture. Price
A third committee was empowered tt
consider new county agent and county
farm bureau legislation and to report al
tire winter meeting. The personnel o1
all committees was left for future naming
by the president, J. F. Reed.
Gray Gives Good Talk.
A discussion OF how the business Of
farming can be made more profitable, by
Chester H. Gray, former president Of the
Missouri Farm Bureau federation and a
pioneer in the movement, was the feature
of general program in the Horse Show
building, which preceded the business
session. Mr.. Gray discussed the farm
bureau movement in it's national phase.
The Washington offide Ct the American
Farm Bureau federation, he said, scored
one of it's greatest victories when it
established the principle that the na-
tional debt, now about $500, for each
person in the country, should be paid
by income taxes. ''This," lie said,
throws the burden on the shoulders OF
those best able to carry it. For the
first time in all history, the tax load
has been shifted from those. least able
to pay.'' To one who has had a little
more than a few years experience in
national events, the gall OF the farm
bureau in laying claim to initiating the
income tax policy is appalling. That
policy has been advocated by progress
sives in the United States for the past 2C
years or more and resulted in the passing
of an amendment to the federal constitu-
ton long before the farm bureau fedora
tion was born: That does not mean,
however, that the tax burden has been
shifted from those least able to pay even
now. The income taxes have been
lowered on those best able to pay, and
that lowering has been done during the
Harding administration, fact that
seems to have escaped the notice OF farm
bureau leaders.
Railroad Rates Too High.
Mr.. Gray said railroad rates are toe
high, despite recent cuts. IF the rail.
roads say they can not stand further re-
ductions, we farmers reply that they
should reduce their overhead and rur
the lines more efficiently" This sounds
like a weak attempt at trying to initiate
Magnus johnson. The difference is thai
Gray has no solution except to reply
to the railroads that they should reduce
expenses. How much attention the
railroads will pay to such reply is
known from the past history of railway
gouging Of the public. Magnus johnson
would have said that railroads woulc
have to cut out farming out work tc
auxiliary companies at prcfteerirg G prices
or else be taken over bodily by the govern
ment and run in the interests o1
the people for whose use they exist
When Magnus talks, he doesn't beat
around the bush with a lot Of pretense
but comes out in square-tced fashion
like he did at the Fort Hill picnic on
Sunday of last week.
Gray on Production.
Speaking on production, Mr.. Gray
said farmers are entitled to cost, plus
a reasonable profit only when they
use good business practices in their work
Farmers must produce efficiently, pro
duce what the world wants and as much
as the world wants. he said. This is
the chief play Of the farm bureau man
But if the farmer stays out OF politics
as the farm bureau hss been telling hin
Ihe must, and just digs to produce "al
the world wants, what about prices
That's the tine the speculator make
use Of the high productive ability of tn
farmer to debate prices. Who fixe
prices? Has TIE farmer anything to sa!
about tk-at? Msgnus Johnson want
TIE falmer to have say in the fxih,
Of the prices on his produce that is
wants a steady price on grains, 9 schedul
Ifor the, year based on the cost Of raisin
the grain and storage costs from mont
to month, cutting out the gambling i
food products. If Magnus Johnson
plan Of stabilized pricesis adopted, the
the farmer can go to work ard produc
call the world wants" but otherwise, th
more he produces the more be lowers hi
own wages for producing. II shoulldn'