New-York tribune., 1922-02-18
Farmers Must
Have air Deal,
LOwden Warns
Prosperity Impossible Until
Prices Are Adjusted, Says
lllinoisan, Who Reprovcs
Rainbow-Hunting Bankers
Improvement i'm Midwest
Prophesies Republican Con.
troll Of House Will Last.
but With Cut in Majority

Frank @. l4owden, former Governor
Of Illinois, two years ago formidable
candidate for the Republican nomina-
tion for President, said last night at
the Riltmore that while tho Iepubli-
cans would loss lot OF Representa-
tves in Congress in the elections next
fall they would retain control Of the
House and 60 ahead with their recon
structon plane.
The Illinoisan added that all tho
Middle Western farmer demands from
the government or any ono else is
square deal and that he will keep after
it until market prices arc on tho same
relative level for him as for manu-
facturcrs and merchants.
GIVE the farmer a square deal and
the so-called agricultural bloc in
Washington will disappear" said Mr..
Lowden. "What else but a battle can
you expect from the farmer when he
sees his products selling for about IA
per cent above the pre-war level, while
al other commodities are selling at
from 30 to 100 per cent above? The
others are getting an average Of 49
per cent above the pre-war level.
Weary OF Rainbow Chasing
"For about 2 year and half the
people have been told that prosperity
was just around the correr, and that
everything would be lovely within the
next six months. The farmers are be-
ginning to wonder II it isn't about
time that some Of our great tinanciers
who keep on chasing rainbows and pre-
dieting prosperity get down to earth
and tell the truth.
Isn't it about time TO face the facts
and admit that grave disparities ex-
ist? More people go bankrupt because
they dare not look q balance sheet in
While some OF the iinanciers right
here in New York are shouting that
prosperity is just ahead, the consid
cradle percentage Of profiteers take
fresh grip OF themselves and conclude
that If prosperity is just ahead it
will be as well for them to keep the
old price marks on their goods.
"The trouble is Fundamental Some
Of the laboring classes arc getting 81
an hour and threatening q strike if
they are cut. while farm labor is slid
ing down toward IS and 20 cents an
hour. That disparity must be approx
imate.y equalizcd before there will be
widespread prosperity.
"Another cause for our national
acute indigestion and other disorders
is that we have been waiting for Eu
rope to come around and pay us the
$10,000 100000 she collectively owes US.
Well, she hasn't got the gold to pay
us, and if she pays US in goods our
factories will have to shut down. 1t
is just beginning TO dawn on people
that there is something better than be-
ing creditor uation What good does
it do US 10 be 4 creditor nation II We
are not going to get our money?
Work Is Crying Need in Europe
ut wouldn't help things, 80 far as
can see, to cancel the debts owed TO us
by Europe. What people over there
need is to get to work at wages SO that
they can buy food and clothing. Ulti
mately economic law will control the
situation, as it always does, and prices
for farm products will reach q rational
relative level.
"Conditions in the Middle West are
improving. The market for hogs and
sheep is better than it was, and there
are Indications that markets and prices
are becoming better stabilized. But
prosperity for the farmer is not just
around the corner, and the sooner we
face the grim truth the better for
all Of US
MIR Lowden was disinclned TO dis
cuss the soldier bonus or the idea OF
creating deep waterway from the
Great Lakes through the St. Lawrence
to Montreal