The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1923-11-23

sales made. III a farmer sold BOT
bushels of wheat at $1.0O per bushel
he would be required to pay $500
sales tax. If he sold 20 head of hog,
weighing ITS pounds at cents s2.1O
would be paid in sales tax. If he
sold 100 tons of hay at So per ton
$S would go for sales tax and so on
4 down the line, until at the end of
the season a goodly sum would have
been paid to the tax collectors. But
that is not all from our friend the
sales tax. Your wheat would have
| been sold to grain dealer who
would pay tax, he would sell to a
jobber; he to wholesaler, he to a re-
taller; and he to you; all would pay
sales tax. The first pament would
be taken from you when you sold
your wheat, the others would be ad-
ded to your bill when ou paid for
your flour.
This tax was; so plainly unjust
that the promoters Of the bill knew
| it could never be put over in its own
guise so they linked it up with the
Soldiers Bonus Bill, and the majority
of the Senators and Representatives
were pledged to support this bill.
When the agricultural bloc elimina-
ated the sales tax provision from the
Bill interest was lost in it's passage
and it became a political football.
The idea of the American Farm
Bureau Federation has been a tax
In1 f.yo nd
square deal for the 90,000,000 people
whose income is below the income
tax level, and the relegating to OBJ
livion Of the idea that the poor should
pay the taxes and the rich accumu-
late more money.
The Sales tax has gone down to
defeat for the present, but 1t will un-
doubtedly be brought up again in the
next session of Congress. A portion
of this money is now being raised by
an increase in the corporation tax,
capital stock tax, and surtax. If the
sales tax had been put across as
presented it would have cost the aver
age farmer approximately $4,000 per
year.
(s) The Agricultural Bloc
1t is unnecessary to say much about
the Agricultural Bloc because most |
people have read so much about it in
the daily papers. 1t Is an organiza-
ton of Senators and Representatives
who are working together, regardless
Of politics, for the betterment Of agri-
conditions for the American
farmer. This Agricultural Bloc is
The child of the American Farm Bur-
eau Federation. Had the farmers Of
America not appeared in Washington
With a formidable organization the
Agricultural Bloc would have been
But politicians are hu-
nan. They spend most Of their
ime getting reelected, therefore,
hose who are supported by farmer
constituents were glad to get what 7
ver favor they might from the Amer {
can Farm Bureau Federation. Should 1
We show the slightest sign Of aband-
ming our organization, the Agricul-
ural Bloc will disappear over night.
The Agricultural Bloc secured the
doptioh of a new tariff schedule e
yhich was a great improvement over
he old system. n
The Agricultural Bloc secured the
assage of the Capper-V Act
-hich legalizes cooperative market
lg anywhere in the United States. =
Before the Farmers became organ
ed the people down at Washington I
tipped the Esch-Cummins Act past II
s. This act provided that the gov IL
'nment was to guarantee an income VI
per cent on all railroad property. el
{ course the Railroads Immediately u
Used their valuations. But Clifford 81
horne, the attorney for the Ameri-
IN Farm Bureau Federation, was
'epared for this move and was on B
md with some figures which re- =
70 billion dollars.
A few Farm Bureau men went down
Washington and worked for the
peal Of the Daylight Saving Act
that the farm laborers would not
lit work in the middle Of the after
on and call it day. They got the
peal through and the President We
ed it. Then they passed it over
s veto. The first victory for or
nized farmersi
County Activities
A few years ago we had several
rious potato diseases in this cou1-
which were becoming so prevalent
at the entire potato crop was af-
tied. The acreage was greatly re-
ced and the quality of the potato
'erior. Through the efforts Of the
unity Agent work this danger has
en- practically eliminated and Bin