The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-25

incomes, who gre using their power to secure the enactment of that law and who will directly profit to the extent of millions of dollars per annum if it should be passed2 While there can be no objection to- the reasonable reduc- tion in surtaxes on great incomes, as proposed. by the Garner plan, by far the largest part of the reductions should be granted to the toilers and Isalaried and professional men who earn by the sweat of their brow and the effort of their brains incomes ranging from $2,000 to $50, 900 per annum. TheseA toilers and producers are the basic strength of the nation; they ere. ate, iu the aggregate, the bulk of the wealth which is annually added to the nations resources. It is they who de- serve the first consideration.
 1t is popular habit among the great newspapers of the east to criticize and denouce as socialistic and unpatri- otic the farmers who are demanding their rights by insisting that the goy- ernment at Washington take measures for their relief Why should the farm CTS be denounced in this unfair way for looking after their own interests when every trust and monopoly and un-
 
 given all 1t asked for under the Ford ney- -McC Cumber tariff bill at the expense of the farmers and the consumers of the United States?
 The futiEty of the tariff remedy so far as the farmer is concerned could not be shown mnss conclusively than by the recent action of the president in lifting the tariff on wheat from 30 cents per bushel to 42 cents per bushel. It was grayely announced that the wheat farmer would be helped by in- creasing the duty on wheat, but the price of wheat under the highest tariff duties in our history propfptly went down. Excessive tariff rates do not benefit, but actually injure the farmer, because they limit his opportunity to sell his surplus products in foreign markets and compel him to, buy all that he consumes at the highest prices in a monopolistic market.
 Among the other issues of conse- quence, believe the following to be vital:
 First, to. substitute a policy of en- frightened international cooperation for the present foolish policy of isolation, so as to reopen foreign markets to our farmers and enable them to dispose of their surplus products at the best ob- .tainable prices. . I Second, to bring about railroad re- form so as to reduce freight rates to reasonable basis, enabling the farm CT to get a higher price for his pro- duce and reducing the cost of all mate rials and supplies which he must ship over the railroads to his farm.
 Third, to repeal the Fordney-M Me Cumber tariff bill to substitute there for a reasonable and just tariff meas ure which will give the farmer fair play ;.nd the largest possible opportu- nity to dispose of their products at profitable prices and permit them and the people generally to buy their nee essities at reasonable prices.
 These promises must be made good and at once if the administration is competent to make them good. The farmers need relief, the country needs relief and yet we merely drift. Neither in "normalcy" nor in 'dormancy" is there hopes
 Would Call Special Session
 The new progressive democratic ad- ministration must take hold of these problems as the last progressive Will son administration took hold of the Vexed credit problem and the vexed 1 farm mortgage problem and solved them in the interest of the people A solu- tion of the railroad problem, which | will do justice not alone to the public but as well to labor and to capital, legitimately inVested in the railroads, can be had under a plan which will preserve the principle of private opera tion under more efficient government regulation than existing law provides. Government ownership4Of the railroads should not De considered until every reasonable effort has been exhausted I to secure q satisfactory solution under private ownership and efficient govern ment regulation. It will be q continu- ing issue until it is wisely settled. If l it is not settled by. March 4, 1925, ,, and should be called to exercise the highest responsibility of the land and given by the people supporting Con- gress, I shall call a special session and urge immediate action.