Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1924-07-03

at the expense of other taxpayers,
and we accept the issue of taxation
rendered by President Coolidge.
AGRICULTURE
During the four years of Republic
can government, the economic condi-
tions of the American farmer has
changed from comfort to bankruptcy,
with all its attendant miseries. The
chief causes for this are:
(a) The Republican party policy OF
isolation in international affairs has
prevented Europe from getting back
. TO its normal balance, and, by leay-
ing unsolved the economic problems
abroad. has driven the European city
population from industrial activities
70 the soil in large numbers in order
TO earn the mere necessaries of life.
This has deprived the American
farmer of his normal export trade.
(b) The Republican policy of a
prohibitive tariff, exemplified in the
Fordney- McCumber law, which has
forced the American farmer, with
his export market debilitated, to buy
manufactured goods at sustained high
domestic levels, thereby making him
the victim of the profiteer.
(c) The Republican policy of high
transportation rates, both rail and
water, which has made it impossible
for the farmer to ship his produce to
market at even living profit
Provide Aid to Farmers.
To offset these policies and their
disastrous results, and to restore the
farmer again to economic equality
with other industrialists, we pledge
ourselves:
(a) To adopt an international
policy of such cooperation by direct
official instead of indirect and eva
sive unofficial means as will rees-
tablish the farmers export market by
restoring the industrial balance in
Europe and the normal flow of in
ternational trade with the settle
ment of Europe's economic problems.
(b)-To adjust the tariff so that
the farmer and all other classes can
buy again in a competitive manufac-
turers' market
(c)-To readjust and lower rail
and water rates, which will make
our markets, both for the buyer and
the seller, national and international
instead of regional and local.
(d)-TO bring about the early COM
pletiOn of internal waterway systems
for transportation and to develop our
water powers for cheaper fertilizer
and use on our farms.
(e)-TO stimulate by every proper
governmental activity the progress
of the cooperative marketing move
ment and the establishment of an ex-
port marketing corporation or COM
mission in order that the exportable
surplus may not establish the price
of the whole crop.
(f)-To SECURE for the farmer
credits suitable for his needs.
(g)-By the establishment of these
policies and others naturally supple
mentary thereto, to reduce the mar
gin between what the producer re-
ceives for his products and the con-
sumner has to pay for his supplies. to
The end that we secure an equality
FOR agriculture.
The sponsors for the Esch- Cummins
act of 1920 at the time
If its presentation TO congress, stated
hat it had for its purposes the re-
luctiOn of the cost of transportation,
he improvement of service, the bet
ering of labor conditions, the promo
ion of peaceful cooperation between
mployer and employee, and at the
anne time the assurance of fair and
ust return to the railroads upon his
lvestment.
We are in accord with these an