Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-09-20
DIVORCE POLITICS
Continued from PAGE ore)

question that is either national in it's
Scope or economic in it's character,
we will reach that Millennium when
government through political parties
will cease to exist He therefore
maintains. in general, that the Demo-
cratic party will solve the agricultur-
al problem.
Now. no one can make proper
statement of the facts involved in the
proper solution of the agricultural
problem without referring to some Of
the involved and conflicting economic
interests of our people. The course
OF the politician. in discussing the
solution. Is primarily from the stand
point of getting votes. The proper
course is that discussion which may
result in constructive solution
without side-stepping embarrassing
votes.
Standpoint of Politics
mfr. Davis. for political purposes.
has seized upon reference which I
made in my Lincoln speech. to the
tendency of reclamation and irriga-
tion projects to increase the supply
OF agricultural products. which under
the law of supply and demand. tends
to increase the selling price Of farm
products, and which must be studied
in any honest economic consideration
OF the problem. Evidently he does
not regard political commitment. be-
fore a full and careful consideration
of all the elements involved in the
problem. as injurious to the chances
for, Progress towards the proper and
economic solution Of agricultural diff
ficulties. If so. l agree with him..
1.-The non-partisan. economic and
practical agricultural commission.
which the President is about to ap-
point in an endeavor to find a solu-
I ton Of complex and difficult ques-
ton. will face numerous situations
of this kind in which there are con-
! ficting interests. The farmers de-
sire high prices for beef on the hoof:
the consumers desire low prices for
1 what they buy while the farmer
justly demands higher prices for
what he sells.
! "In its endeavor to reach a proper
solution Of this national problem. the
commission can not start in as the
politicians do with pledges to con-
flicting interests. designed TO satisfy
both sides in advance. This would
mean certain failure.
my objection to putting the agri-
cultural problem in politics Is that
it involves wholesale preliminary
commitments from candidates after
votes in certain localities, which
tends to preclude. afterwards, impair
tial consideration of constructive
remedies for the agricultural indus
try as whole.
I'm my speech at Lincoln. en-
deavored to look at the whole a gri-
cultural question In the same way
as our Expert Committee at first
viewed the complex and desperate
situation of European industry
which was due to the inability of
politicians in the allied countries and
Germany in the past to adjust con-
fiicting Demands. They had kept
Europe in industrial chaos for five
years as the politicians are now
keeping the agricultural problem in
chaos here.
Simply Stated . Fact
| I'm my statement relative to irri-
cation and reclamation that we have
undoubtedly put under cultivation
J millions OF acres of land which
should have been conserved as a
source of food supply for future gen
erations and in this connection that
every reclamation project. whether
| by irrigation or draining. furnishes
added competition for existing culti-
waited farmers. orchards, and vine
yards, at time when we already
are seriously embarrassed by over
production in many lines I simply
stated one of the many facts which
must be discussed and considered by
any non partisan commission hon