The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-15
CONGRESS- AND FARM RELIEF

The TsTm bbse has gut esszgress on Rstire thaa It VIII eppese adig1Emnenf until same measures ef farm reISef are enaeted- So pswex4u1 is ssse Moe that ie has forced agree mezs frum Repuhziezn Beadsrs sa this point The Rass eE the bss<Fs strength is not so uaueA Isx numbers as fas shSlfty to- block srfer BeeSsazrssu m the event Tes own desires are mct grzntesE The unfortunate feature ct the sifzznsau is thaf the deeisisu to enact farm,- -reZief measures is based not eu the merit sf ssDeh measures. haE sa eampulsisn- As q resI1t- tt ws1M net Be surprising if the measures ezaxsed wiK Be ineomplete or mis- dErecsed and tAms fan short ef their purpose AlHh~ugh SenaHnr cauVer. regarded as a farmer ef sssaizmezfs and intelligence. is zpansar fer cue sr nzsve ef the measures. 1t aE mt certnfn thzE even he has accurately diagnosed sAe ssuree sf the farmers trouble e Prsperfy pFeserisesd for it.
 lnAR~A tt m dz1SezEx to see how any ger mznem& regaeF ssr che farmers can come from the sWGEsie. mzre are many reasons for AslEfRTmg Gas the reaf and lasting remedy fsr farm H1s hes wirhm the industry. Sem ansr CzwpR xagx that three of the pending rsV5sf mezszres "sre designed to assist in the sazbl blEEEzzksza ef farm Vrices-nst in the ar hErrasT fTxingsf farm prices. They propose ae ETE- ss Eezaaae q Psrity between farm prices and senszzg euazmsdEty prices approximzting tAae rEr5s thst, exizsed dHrins Pre-war years wItHeG4 seme arhitExry standard it is diff Suzz ss see how this can be done. There is paArIry beEween the price the consumer pays Ssr farm prsazrss and the price the con srn%r p@sx general commodities, If the farmer &ses nd get the percentage coming to him and 1t E svi.lkns that he does not. then tine fzuEz must Ee in the processes that Op- e1ase between the farmer and the consumer. Any arbfzzarE fixing ec even attempt at s4aBdFzafBsa of the prize received by the farmer win obviously have no effect upon the azhesmediafR processes. so the natural result ws1A be am~insreaze in the price the con ~zmer mHzt pay That would be unfair to Ehe eumszmes and waald entirely overlook the sczus1@s that pnwzrrsntsdIg operate to widen the spTead hess~sen frolucer and consumer.
 It appears therefore. that the remedy, to Be effective. must apply to the processes of uaFEssfng aaE diztriAutien. Only one con gressS.uaI md kure appertafns to such prOz cszssssS aaR skk M iis sEsaSllatiaH asking tAe InHsrstase cd msrse Commission to reduce the freiEAE rsSes eel farm commodities. But tszt d%x5re Gsss not appear sound. If freight r~ses are ssa high they should be given an esuItahie harizmtaI reiUctiou. after intelli- >smH and thaGpaSh inquiry If freight rates ate not tea high taen the sum subtracted fFum the eArse for hauling farm products must be adt3e1 to the eharge for hauling all sshRr eHzsses ef freight This would be mani sssGEv uufaiartts other industries and would De furtRer burden on the consumer. with nhase responsible foe the spread between faHmer and consumer still escaping due at tsmt6auL
 | The InsxitabIe coueIusion then is that the fzrnner hzz two remedies. beth of which are HndEhvsuzaBle to his relief, and both of which are belng zpglIed in a constantly intensifying derres- The first remedy Is for the farmer ts regIDce has 'ererhead. by reducing the mum Aar sF sersE he tills, if necessary, but by all nouns RE Increasing his yield per acre. This EszueEy thszsanIs of farmers are already re zaGsmS to- with the result that their margin @F PrvfTt IS greaaer per unit of farm product. Far exzmPIs. it e0sts the farmer much less BPar 4cre than to raise thirteen, which is the aaHbsuaT ger acre average And so with any 0rher pro&1et- The ether remedy, to which thaIsSuds ct faTmers have already turned. is the meus orderly buying and selling of farm HFeaUargmenNz and farm products. through CO., egeHative B1ziness organizations. Already the farm eoRperztiEes have saved the farm CTS hundreds ef thousands of dollars on their pGErAasez and adtled even greater amounts to their receip1sl The tendency of the CO., eVeratTVes is % redaee the spread between cruaUmRr and Prpdarer to the mutual advau- tace sf haeA- parties to the transaction The castEE Insermediate processes are being neu- traFzsd and the hitherto great expense of m4rkatluS and distribution of farm products Hs beHng re,EDced- part of the saving being represented Il a greater return to the pro dUreT- Fart ef ir represented in lower price te the eunsumer. and the rest wiped out en- tarsAE- If csagress should seek to relieve the Earmsr bF ezpeditng measures that stimu- HGae the operation ef economic principles. it Es hsl5eEed that then only would 1t produce E1rm BsgIzEzfieu of lasting merit.
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