Evening star., 1923-11-05
FAILS TO SEE HOPE
IN WHEAT REPORT
Continued from First Page.)

(COntlnued from First Page.)
against the wheat farmers for de-
manding government al aid for them
selves alone-for "class relief" in
other words.
There are countless precedents."
he said. for emergency measures
and state governments have. not
hesitated. In times Of grave emer-
gency, to take unusual steps for
relief Of unemployment in industry.
What ails the wheat-growing indus
try is fundamentally unemployment.
vast numbers Of artisans out of en-
ployment, conditions during the past
year or two have been robbing wheat
farmers of their livelihood. They
are being compelled to desert the
farms. They are losing their farms
ability to pay taxes or liquadate
mortgages. Surely. in the case of so
basic an industry as agriculture,
class relief II you please so to cali
it. can be justified.
Needs Purchasing Power.
What Is vitality and Immediately
necessary in the wheat country, how
ever, Is the placing at farmers dis
posal. by some means or other, Of the
purchasing power wherewithal to
meet their urgent needs and obliga-
tions. They cannot go on as they
are. II they must do SO. the social
and economic results, already de-
plorable. will become disastrous. The
other day, when the investment bank
ers were In convention at Washing
ton, was asked, as a Minnesota
representative. by dozens OF men to
said was that the sending OF Magnus
Johnson. the man. to the Senate
doesn't mean anything. What does
mean something Is the state Of mind
his election denotes. It Is a symptom
ing country. With that symptom we
must find ways Of dealing, in a
remedial sense, II the wind that has
been sown IL not to be reaped as a
whirlwind. The people have lost con-
fidence in political leadership-broad-
at all In our economic leadership.
Indeed. they SEQ no economic leader
ship. That Is one Of the states Of
mind reflected by Magnus Johnson q
more thinking in terms OF practical
economics at Washington. and less in
terms OF precincts, primaries and
delegates. II any regime-republican
oi ucAuoCIAtAC-NOpe9 TO survive. The
need Is for economic thinkers, not
political phrase makers"
Urges Higher TariR.
Representative Anderson, who ad-
vocates 80 per cent increase in the
tariff on Canadian wheat as an
emergency measure Of tangible value
to the wheat farmer. has lust for
mally applied to Chairman Marvin Of
the Tariff Commission, for the In
vestigation provided for by law. The
elastic provisions of the Fordnev.
McCumber tariff act permit the exist
Ing import duty to be raised by NOT
exceeding so per cent, II. after in :.
quiry, 1t Is determined that the dif.
ference between the cost of produc.
ing American wheat and Canadian
warrants 1t. Mr.. Anderson saws the
difference Is enormous. He sees the
primary need OF the wheat-Krower in
controlled acreage. Something like
67,000.000 acres of wheat are now un-
der cultivation In the United States,
He thinks 62.ooo.ooo or $4,000 900
sons opinion. . reduction OF the num-
Der Of wheat farmers by as many as
q million might be an economic biess-
ing. '"The world surplus Of wheat
today" he concluded, "is around 200. :
100000 bushels. 1t Is likely In the
Immediate future, with countries fike
Russia coming back into the market.
to increase rather than diminiah'
The Nmitless virgin acres Of Canada
and Argentina one day will be Rrow-
ing wheat. Organized sslf-control 10
our problem"
(oopyrisAt, is2s.)