The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-10-01
TOO MANY SCHEMES
TO AID FARMER
NATIONAL GRAIN DEALERS Of
FICIAL SAYS ELIMINATION OF
.MIDDLEMAN WOULDN'T HELP

Des Moines, Ia-When intellectual
anarchy reignS mot even the multi
plication table is free from attack"
Charles Quinn, secretary-treasurer of
the Grain Dealers National associa-
ton, declared in report to the annu-
al convention of the association here
today
Assailing congress and legislatures
for bowling to the will of minorities,
Mr.. Quinn in lengthy report assert
ed the time had come for the help
less public to revolt against political
and economic experiments"
'Toppling thrones have let loose a
flood of schemes for remaking the
world" he said. "And this world of
abnormal times, a world that aban-
ons music for jazz, art for cubism
and the church for the movies, will
try anything"
He declared the agrarian unrest
was a part of the general disturbance.
For the first time in ten years." he
continued, congress has been on a
vacation, giving the country a short
respite. But now there promises to
be renewal of agitation and a pie
thora of bills to help the farmer des-
pite the fact that congress devoted
most of its last two sessions to such
measures. Almost unlimited credit
excluding foreign grain was passed:
law now gives the secretary of ag-
riculture control over grain futures
trading, and another law makes CO.
operative companies immune from
the Sherman antitrust act
Because cooperative marketing of
California fruit was found advisable,
efforts are made to apply like rules to
grain, raised through almost the en-
tire continent. Such policy shows
that leaders have not even reached
the teething period in economies
Mr.. Quinn quoted such authorities
as Professor T. N. Carver, of Harvard
University to show the falIacy of ap-
plying to agricultural specialities.
Leaders of the farm movement
would destroy the middleman and re-
place him with a system far more
wasteful and much less democratic,''
he added, pointing to enactment of
marketing laws in grain
states last winter which he charact-
erized as without precedent in the
history Of class legislation"
after driving farmers into these
So-called cooperative companies, the
leaders would bind them for ten years
to deliver their products, not to the
highest bidder, but to Missionaries who
know nothing of merchandising
grain. To strengthen their position
they would impose a fine on anyone
who would dare to tell the farmers
hat they had made a mistake The
price to be paid producers was of
minor Importance. II was simply to
De the market price after all ex-
)enses of merchandising were de-
lucted.
"It does not seem possible that
hese men, calling themselves leaders
If a movement, can be unmindful OF
he fact that their course is bound to
De subVersive to the farming inter-
.st Of the nation
"Bu5 this is an age Of turbulent
linking. That explains why a new
scheme Tor the destruction of the
is advanced in the morn
ng and abandoned by night 1t ex-
,lains unsound congressional bills
hat head the country down the road
o Bureaucracy. 1t explains laws be-
ng jammed down the pubic throat,
avs to cure poverty, high prices, low
prices, farming risks, illness and war
I'm previous agitations farm lead
rs blamed railroads and the gold
standard. Control of railroads by the
Interstate commerce commission pre-
Tented a repitition of the old populist
Lgitation, and the money initiation in
1srope stopped a resurrection of the
Vail street dragon. But someone
lit upon the grain middleman and he
ecame the victim