The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1923-12-14


ness Of the country has had an ex-
traordinary revival. Looked at as a
whole, the nation is In the enjoyment
Of remarkable prosperity. Industry
and commerce are thriving For the
most part agriculture is successful,
eleven staples having risen In value
from about $1,000 100000 two years
ago to about S7,O0O,OOO,OO0 for the cur
rent year But range cattle are Still
low in price, and some sections Of the
wheat area, notably Minnesota. North
Dakota and on west, have many cases
of actua. distress. With his products
not selling on a parity with the prod
ucts Of industry, every sound remedy
that can be devised should be applied
for the relief of the farmer He rep
resents a character, a type Of citizen
ship, and a public necessity that must
be preserved and afforded every facil-
fly for regaining prosperity.
The distress is most acute among
those wholly dependent upon one crop.
Wheat acreage was greatly expanded
and has not yet been sufficiently re-
duced A large amount is raised for
export, which has to meet the cOmpe-
titiOn in the world market Of large
amounts raised on land much cheaper
and much more productive.
No complicated scheme Of relief no
plan for government fixing Of prices,
no resort to the public treasury will
he of any permanent value in estab-
fishing agriculture Simple and direct
methods put into operation by the
farmer himself are the only real
sources for restoration.
Indirectly the farmer must be re
lieved by a reduction Of national and
local taxation. He must be assisted
/ by the reorganization of the freight
4 rate structure which could reduce
/ charges on his production. To make
this fully effective there ought to be
railroad consultations. Cheaper fer
/ tilizers must be provided.
He must have organization. His
customer with whom he exchanges
/ products of the farm for those of in
/ duStry is organized, labor is organized,
business is organized, and there is no
way for agriculture to meet this IN
less it, too, is organized. The acre
age of wheat is too largea Unless we
can meet the world market at a profit,
we must stop raising for export. Or
ganization would help to reduce acre
age. Systems of cooperative market
ing created by the farmers themselves
supervised by competent management
without doubt would be of assistance,
but they cannot wholly solve the prob
lem. Our agricultural schools ought
to have thorough courses in the theory
of Organization and cooperative mar
keting.
Diversifcation is necessary. Those
farmers who raise their living on their
land are not greatly in distress. Such
loans as are wisely needed to assist
buying stock and other materials to
start in this direction should be
financed through a government agency
as a temporary and emergency expedi'
ent
position of exportable wheat. l dc
not favor the permanent interference
of the government in this problem
That probably would increase the trOu
BILE by increasing production. But Il
seems feasible to provide government
assistance to exports, and authority
should be given the War Finance cor
poration to grant, in its discretion, the
most liberal terms of payment for fat
and grains exported for the direct
benefit of the farm.
Muscle Shoals.
The government is undertaking t
develop a great water-pOwer prOjec
known as Muscle Shoals, on which
has expended many million dollars
The work is still going on. Subjec
to the right to retake in time of wal
1 recommend that this property wit
a location for auxiliary steam plan
and rights of way be sold. This wOul
end the present burden of expense an
should return to the treasury the lars
= est price possible to secure.
heClaFQdAiONs
BY reason Of many. cOntributin
causes, occupants Of our reclamation
projects are in financial dificultie:
which in some cases are acute. Re
: lief should be granted by definite at
thOrity of law empowering the secrC
tary of the interior in his discretio
to suspend, readjust, and reassess' a
charges against water users. Thi
: whole question Is being considered b
experts. You will have the advantag
: of the facts and conclusions whic
: they may develop. This situation, Il
{ vOlving a government investment c
more than S135OOO,OOO. and affectin
more than 10000 water users, is ser
J Gus. While relief which Is necessar