The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-08-22
BROOKHART HAS
TAKEN CHARGE

Senator Brookhart has come back
from Europe, laden beyond the Plim-
soil mark with powerful ideas. While
he predicts that the nomination Of
President Coolidge, if that gentleman
shall continue the Harding policies,
would mean a third party, if the Dem
ocrats nominate a conservative, he
will not deny the benefit CT his wis
dom to the administration which he
rejects. He asks Mr.. Hughes for
two small favors at once, the recog-
milton of the SOVIET gOvernment-will
the labor half of the twin party kind
ly observe and preserve ?5and to use
his influence with the administration
to call an extra session to help the
farmers. He points out the way.
Congress must establish a govern
ment agency to market the crops; ap-
propriate funds, buy, if necessary, ali
the staple crops and set up a minimum
price for them, the government to be
the minimum bidder. Then a ''high
tariff wall must be built up against
the foreign producer.
Mr.. Brookhart seems to forget that
the farmers have been kicking against.
the present tariff wall, and that the
great increase in foreign production
of farm stuff is already a wall in the
way of disposing of our W agricul-
tural surplus; but his program is de-
lightful and makes the old farmers
| oli noa- Nnnr1TC& orSo,1E,,- -.l
treasures scheme look like thirty
cents" Senator Brookhart is n of
the most active young magicians and
miracle lei of agriculture.
1t is a pity his noble efforts are not
more appreciated in his own state,
whose secretary of agriculture says
bluntly that an extra session of con-
CESS wouldn't help the situation. This
is the same unfeeling optimist who
said the other day that "The Iowa
farmer is considerably better off than
in 1921, and in better position than
last year-if corn prices keep up"
Iowa is primarily a cOrn state. The
average farm price of corn for the
five years before the war was 55K
cents a bushel. The present price is
about rs cents. Two years ago il
was A cents. The corn fields are in
decently good shape and a crop OF
more than 425, 600, 900 bushels is ex.
pected. At present prices this means
about $85,000,0 900 more than the corr
would have brought before the war
Ill-news for a statesman who wa:
elected as a distress signal.
If the prices of wheat and oats arr
down, those of sheep and wool arr
up. The farmers are kicking them
selves because they raised so man!
hogs. There are said to be 14,000,00I
in Iowa. The professors of it's agri
cultural college say that the actua
price of hogs, something under 81,
the equivalent of 55-cent corn, an,
that with corn at IS cents the hog
ought to fetch SO. There has been a
ov~erproduction of hogs, because, S
long as corn was low, there was NOR
money for the farmer in bacon an
hams than in corn. Corn in the bi
has beaten corn in the hog; but tn
expert opinion is that hog prices wi
"come back" The Iowa farmer ha
. been more economical, has worke
harder, has adjusted himself by hi
own efforts to the changed cond
! tons. He is all right if corn price
continue firm.
: The president and secretary of til
Iowa Farm Bureau federation So
"the average Iowa farmer is bett'
off than a year age" Is that a wa
= to back up an enthusiastic son of c.
!, lamity like Senator BroOkhart? ?
New York Times.