The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1923-12-07
MONTANA ORGANIZES
FOR EXPORT ACTION
WANTS POSITIVE MOVE BY CON
GRESS TO CORRECT DISAD-
VANTAGEOUS FARM PRICE.

Positive action by Congress to cor
rect the disadvantageous price rela-
tionship of farm commodities with Cp-
Grating costs is demanded by an asso-
citation formed at Helena on Tuesday,
November q, by official representa-
tives Of the Montana Wheat Growers
Association, the Montana State Bank
erg' Association. The Montana State
Farm Bureau, the Montana Retail
Merchants Association, and the Mon
tana Farmers Union.
This organization, known as the
Agricultural Export Corporation
League, opened Headquarters immedi-
organizing sentiment that exists
ately, and is taking the leadership in
throughout the northwest in favor Of
government export action, back Of one
definite plan.
Dwight r. Cresap of LewistoWl is
president; H. S. Buell. Of Bozeman,
vice president; o. +. Tate Of Carter,
secretary treasurer; A. II. Stafford Of
Bozeman and w. J. Hopper of Joliet,
additional members of the board Of
directors.
The action of the conference at
Helena is embodied in the following
authorized statement:
"The disastrous relationship be-
tween agricultural and general com
modify prices is the fact that is OPP
pressing agriculture in the United
States and particularly in wheat grew
ing regions. Any movement which,
concerned with prote ,tion Of nac'onll
prosperity and The general welfare,
AIMS toward be .tement Of the posi-
tior Of agriculture, must correct this
diSadvantageOus price relationship If
j. is to accomplish results.
"The farm industry carries neavy
debt, and is selling on a pre-war lev
81 while buying and operating r. a
level fully sixty Der cent above pre-
war costs. The agricultural situation
today is a direct challenge to all WHO
are in position to give. thought to it,
to strive for positive betterment.
Immediate action by the coming
Congress is necessary to prevent wide
spread disaster throughout the north
west After examining into proposed
measures, we believe that the vitality
important object, that is, restoration
of the pre-war purchasing power Of
farm commodities, can best be ac-
complished through the government
export corporation plan first, by es-
tablishing tariff schedules on agricul-
tural products sufficient to- liz farm
prices to their pre-war relationship
with other prices, and second, in or
der to make these tariff schedules eff
fective, by creating an Agricultural
Export Corporation to handle all sur
plus of such farm commodities, the
costs to be born by the protected pro
ducts
clad this plan been effective on
wheat, and had wheat been selling at
the pre-war relationship with other
prices, the price would have been
from so to CT cents a bushel higher
than wheat has actually been selling
for in the United States each month
OF the present year.
Under this plan the corporation
would buy expOrtable products at the
American price and dispose Of them
in the world market. the cost Of op-
Grafton to be met by an assessment
levied on the producers on a per unit
basis. 1t has been demonstrated by
leading economists that, on the whole,
farm product prices are still determ-
ined largely by world competition
while the prices Of commodities the
farmers use are protected by the tar
if against the competition of disor-