Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-03-01
Farmers Must Get Economic
Justice Before Other Industries
Can Expect Good Times"
Written Specially for The Leader
By ARTHUR CAPPER, U. S. Sen.
(Autocaster Servicel

(Autocaster Service)
Washington, D. C.-For many years
the United States Government has
| been content to let agriculture take
care of itself. Farmers have gone on
producing under many handicaps that
might easily have been removed. The
result has been disaster that in the
last two years has overtaken the farm
ers, caused billions of dollars in los
ses by shrinkage in the value of farm
products, and been has seriously de-
trimental to business turnout the land.
The need of constructive national
program looking to the rehabilitation
of agriculture is regarded by the Farm
Bloc as imperative. 1t is now general
ly accepted that prosperity must come
first to the farms before it can pre-
vail in the city. :
Farming is the only business left
that buys at retail and sells at whole
sale; that pays what it is asked when
it buys and accepts what is offered
when it sells. The farmer remains
merely a producer of the necessaries
of human life.
He gets but one-third of every dol
lar paid by the @consuny1r for thu
products of the farm. Our expensive,
Anticipated marketing system takes the
other two thirds.
The enactment OF constructive,
wholesome, progressive legislation
which will bring about better con-
ditions agriculturally is the mission
of the Farm Bloc in Congress. As a
member of that body, | think I may
say with perfect vandor that there
is nothing dark, sinister, nor for
bidding in its makeup or its pur-
poses. 1t is not political. 1t is for
things rather than against them.
For the city man as we'll as the coun-
try man. Tt is working for honest
industry, honest finance, honest com
merce, honest agriculture, honest lab
or, and wishes to cooperate with all
of these.
Agriculture Basis of All Prosperity.
The charge has been made by met
ropoliton newspapers of the East that
the Farm Bloc seeks class legislation.
That its aim is to profit agriculture, no
matter at what cost to other industry.
The men who make that charge lose
sight of the fundamental fact that agri-
culture is basic, that what contributes
to its prosperity and we'll being I'M
questionably benefits all industry
When agriculture is profitable the ma
ton is prosperous.
In legislation the farmer is not en-
titled to any more consideration than
any other class; but he is entitled to
just as much
The Farm Bloc does not recognize
the right of any class to have an adj
vantage at the expense of another
group or of the population as a whole.
The Farm Bloc believes that the
best way to mend the present situa-
ton and provide for the future is
to increase the producers profit by
shortening the road to market. One.
way to accomplish this is through CO.
operative marketing.
The recently published report of
the Federal Trade Commission
shows that the gambling transactions
in grain amount some years to more
than twenty billion bushels, or three
times all the grain produced in. the
world
The, public has made up its mind
that the Chicago Board of Trades
poker playing, using the country's food
supply as the stakes, is the most wan
ton, most wicked, most destructive
game of chance in the world. and it
is now proposing to stop it BY the
Capper-Tincher law, which places
grain exchanges under federal con-
troll.
The Farm Bloc measure which had
strongest opposition was the amend
mert to the Federal Reserve Act, pro-
vldlng that agriculture should be repre-
scented on the Federal Reserve Board
along with other industry commerce
and finance. Wall Street bankers op-
posed it bitterly, claiming that this is
class legislation"
No one seems to think it "class
legislation" for commerce, finance and
manufacturing to be represented on
the Federal Reserve Board and, OF
course, it is not. Then why should it
be considered class legislation for agri-
culture, which is the largest and most
vital industry of ALL to be represented?
For a long while the big five packer
combine absolutely controlled the live
stock markets and fixed the prices to
suit themselves. AS result of the eff
forts of the Farm Bloc the packing in