The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-01-17
CHAMBER SHES AT
IMMIGRATION ISSUE
PASSES BUCK TO NORTH IDAHO
ORGANIZATION-D DIS
CUSSES PRICE FIXING

Wednesdays session of the Moscoy
chamber of commerce was one o
more than ordinary interest, with
large attendance of business and pro
fessional men, and with two most in
teresting discussions, one by Hon
A. H. Oversmith on the question O
the proposed abolishment of tn,
state department of immigration an,
the other, by Professor H. C. Dale
head of the department of economics
at the University of Idaho on pric,
fixing by the government
In the absence of the president ane
vice president, Claude w. Renfrev
presided at the Wednesday meeting
A communication from the st. Maries
chamber of commerce was read, ask
ing that the Moscow organization &c
on record in opposition to Governor
Moore's recommendation for the alb.
olishment of the, department Of i'm
migration. No action was taken.
Results Won't Justify Expenditure
The gist of Mr. Oversmith's talk
on the immigration department
question was that the results from
the efforts of the department had
failed, SO far, to justify the expense
He recounted some of the history OF
the department, and of money spent
by the state in an effort to secure
immigration, and said that so far as
he was able to determine there had
not been any noticeable results He
said that each district wanted its
own resources advertised and that
this could not be done through the
state immigration department The
most effective way, according to his
belief, is for each section to- do its
own boosting and advertising. The
abolishment Of the department would
simply mean that the state had
gone out of the immigration business,
but would not interfere in any way
with the work Of commercial organi-
cations and railway companies. He
pronounced the department, so far
as results are concerned, failure.
In closing Mr.. Oversmith suggest
ed that the Moscow chamber of COM
merce write the governor, endorsing
his recomm endation for the elimina-
tion of the immigration department
and moved that such a letter be pre-
pared. G. P. Mix at once took the
floor and suggested that before TAX
ing action an effort should be made
to learn what attitude the Latah
county delegation in the legislature
had taken on the question Dean M.
F. Angel suggested that it would be
better to let the matter alone entire
ly. c. L. Butterfield moved that the
matter be tabled This motion failed
to carry, and was followed by mo-
tion from Mr.. Mix that the matter be
referred to the North Idaho chamber
of commerce, which motion carried.
Dale Discusses Price Fixing
Professor Dale gave an intensely
interesting and enlightening talk on
government price fixing. He asserted
wheat would not be disastrous, it
and would set a precedent from
which it would be hard to get away.
He said that the price was fixed dur
ing the war to hold down the cost
of food, but that the price had never
been fixed by the government with
a view to advancing the price of
food. A minimum price of $3.50 a
bushel would, according to Mr.. Dale,
stimulate production and decrease
consumption. 1t would be possible
IOT Lie SOV6TuIu0IL 10 llX Cu0 pTlCG
in our own country, but would be i'm
possible to fix the export price, max
ing it incumbent upon the govern
ment to make up the difference, if
there should be difference, to the
producer. This would in turn add
to the cost of food, to the cost Of
and on down the line,
reacting on the articles which the |
farmer must buy.
Mr.. Dale suggested that bonus to
the farmer would not be out of place
and would be much less complicated |
He called attention to the demand for
a soldiers bonus, ship subsidy, etc. |
II the government were to fix the I
price, he said there would be no rea-
son why the price of cotton, coal and |
many other things might not be fix
ed. If the price were fixed for a
period of three years, there would be |
a clamor at the end of that time for |
a continuation Of the policy He said |
Il he were a member of congress he
would fear to support any measure
which would raise the price of food
Following Mr.. Dale's talk, mo-
lion was passed asking Mr. Mix, the
author of the resolution for a gov
fixed price at the meeting
. week ago, to reply to Mr.. Dale's
at the next meeting Of
The chamber.
J