Evening star., 1924-04-06
FARM RELIEF BILLS
WAIT ON CONGRESS.
Many Different Proposals
Made for Extending Aid
to Agriculture.

As Congress turns from Teapot
Dome and Daugherty to the more
pro aic business of passing laws. il
is C I-onted by a deluge of farmer
relief bills which probably will take
precedence, after tax and bonus bills.
over nearly all other Iegisla ton.
These measures run the scale from
outright advances OF $1,000 each to
farmers to proposals that the gov
ernment take over the wheat. corn.
cotton and wool output for five years.
Some of these bills probably will
ne enacted into law. All are design
I'd to render Treasury aid 10 the man
Sbehtnd the plow. y few have been
reported by committee and are on the
calendar. The measure of relief. put
IN the form OF dollars and cents, runs
from 100000. 900 to $1,000 000. 600, with
proposed appropriations of from
Al0n.000.000 To S206,000,000 ruling as
favorites.
The measures rehs,t the widest di-
vergence OF remedy proposed in re-
cent years The favoritr plan as dis
closed in number Of the bills. is TO
move the government create a new
corporation which would cope with
The problem. IL each such ease il is
"uase the entire capital stock of the
contemplated corporation
VoUId Authorize Bonds.
In some cases the corporations
would be authorized. in addition, to
issue bonds uD Ia 100000. 600. and
sell them. through the Treasury, TO
jhe public. In one measure the novel
suggestion is made that the govern
lncnt issue scrip in part payment for
v neat which il would purchase at
$3.50 a bushel
What the cost would be is prob
Iemaucal. Estimates run from few
hundred millions To more than 81 000.-
100000. The enactment of some of
tac proposed measures probably would
wipe out the balance in the Treasury
1t the end of the next fiscal year, 4
balance estimated 10y the bureau of
1hr budget at $666.000. 900. out of
which the bureau hopes to save S395-
nbo.900 for redemption Of the public
debt in addition to the ordinary ap-
prupriation' therefor
II that plan is followed there
would he a balance OF $271 900 600 in
the Treasury at the end OF the next
fiscal year. The figure is conditional.
az course. upon the correctness of
treasury estimates oil income That is
the margin left by the bureau of gen
rral appropriations after the regular
<tCtIVItieS OF the government have
"een provided Tor. If it is spent in
other ways. there would be no funds
available. il necessarily follows. for
farm relief Also there would lac
nothing in the Trpa sury
Bureau of Marketing.
Among the relirf proposals l. Il
measure which would create a new
bureau OF marketing for agricultural
and live stock products in the Depart
ment of Commerce. The head OF the
bureau, an official at $4,000 salary,
would devote his attention to extend
ing markets for hogs. cattle, sheen.
pork and beef products. corn. wheat
cotton, oats, barley and rye, and
would be empowered to take over
Shipping Board vessels 10 transnort
Such products abroad. The bill car
iieS an appropriation OF $500 900 900
Another bill would appropriate
$500. 100000 with which The govern
Hlent would be authorized and direct
I'd to buy wheat in 1924 and 1925 at
Sl.50 Il buSnel for No northern
spring wheat, and pruportionate
nrIces for other grades. The corpo-
Eauon through which this would be
done is to be owned by the govern
ment. After buying the wheat the
corporation would be authorized to
dispose of it "at such prices and on
such terms as 1t deems best for the
public welfare"
Would Buy Up Crops.
The government would buy the 1924
A-t'p " W neat d p a DuSnel Tor No.
northern spring wheat under still
another proposal. 1T would also buy
the corn crop and the cotton crop.
the former at a price of 95 cents n
bushel. the latter at so cents a pound.
In addition. ii would purchase the
wool clip at 81 cents a pound
Sales of these commodities would be
controlled under a licensing system
somewhat similar to that of the war
time food administration Retailers,
however, would not be licensed
Secretary Wallace would be author
lied by another bill to buy wheat at
from S1.10 to sl.25 a bushel. When
the accumulated purchases reach l.
100000 bushels it would be permis-
Sible issue Treasury certificates against
them.
Still another proposal is that there
he established livestock loan
fund Of $75,00O,000 in the Treasury
gainst which advances could be
made 10 farmers up to 1000 each for
The purchase of livestock This meas
ure is designed to encourage live
stock raising in the wheat belt
All told, the farm-- is on the eve
of receiving the ciose attention Of
congressional economists who differ
widely in their ideas as to what
should be done. There is virtual
agreement, however, that the remedy
%hould properly come from the United
States Treasury.
Copyright, 1924N