The Bismarck tribune., 1924-02-09
A BIG JOB FOR MANY HANDS


There has now come well-consid-
cred Strengthening away Of lines for
direct assault on the emergency
which has borne down with severe
stress on the wheat farmers Of the
Northwest. 1t is correct to say that
Pres ident Coolidge is commarder-in-
chief of the attacking forces. In the
loyal support of the fighting staff
under him. There are details of the
general battle yet to be agreed up
on. but these will be worked out in
consonance with a strategy, the
broader aspects of which already
have been determined.
The President did not call in vain
for private enterprise and capital to
come to the rescue. 1t is now we'll
assured that the constructive cooper
alton he asked for will be given. A
10 million dollar corporation is 10 be
underwrittcn by private capital a, an
aid in Strengthening out the difficult
ties Of the wheat farmers of the
Northwest and of the banks which
tried, with greater or less disaster,
to carry the farmers along and keep
the financial house in order. The
corporation, though organized pri-
vately, is to have the backing of the
War Finance corporation.
President Coolidge favors enact
ment of the Norbeck- Burtness bill
providing for government loan to
facilitate diversified farming. He
will be quick to raise the tariff on
| wheat from 80 cents to as cents a
bushel under the elastic clause Of the
Fordney- McCumber act if the find
ings of the tariff commission provide
sanction for the increase. His mind
is still open as to the wisdom of en-
acting the McNaryHaugen bill pro-
| posing to create government cor
poration to handle the exportable
surplus of farm crops.
The alert, active interest of the
President, the readiness of private
enterprise to join in the quest for
wise ways and means, and the gen.
eral congressional atmosphere, all
contribute to the hope that the emer-
gency in the Northwest will be dealt
with informedly and effectively.
When, or if, the Federal govern
ment and private capital coordinate
their efforts along the lines suggest
cd above, there will still remain
much to be done, and the doing of
it is a very widely shared obligation.
1t is duty incumbent on Congress
to enact a sound income tax revision
bill, and by sound bill Of this kind
is meant one that will tighten both
the direct and indirect burdens of in
come taxation. 1t will be the duty Of
farmer beneficiarics, if the Norbeck-
Burtness bill is passed, to do their
utmost il making the relief measure
accomplish all it is designed to ac-
complish. 1t will be the duty of
those who are helped in financial
reconstruction to adhere in future to
sound banking principles and policies
in every instance. Overbanking
should be avoided as zealously as
poor banking. 1t will be the duty of
state and local governments to dc
everything in their power to keep to
reasonable minimum the cost Of
government and the institutions sup
ported by taxation.
1t is of the utmost Importance we
should keep out of our minds any
idea that the Federal government
alone can or should straighten out
the tangles that have caused so much
trouble. 1t is not enough that its
forces should be pooled with the
forces of private capital. The states
of the Northwest have something to
do in the way of constructive CO.
operation. County and city govern.
ments also have something to do. It's
great big job for many hands, and
the job will not be mastered if there
are shirkers anywhere along the line
that leads from the farm to the ma
tional Capitol and the White House
by way of almost innumerable inter.
vening agencies. We've all got tt
push or pull. The leaner is a slack.
er-Minneapolis Tribune.