Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-19
IN THE HANDS or THE ENEMY

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Those who comprehend the diff
cuities certain branches OF agricul.
ture have encountered the past few
years, and are aware OF the fact that
the production Of food is a basic en-.
terprise which should not be ignored
Would support measures Of relief
which might be found practicable and
not establishing a bad precedent tc
make for more trouble In the future
than they would relieve.
. Such a measure is not easily II
possibly attainable. There Is no as
surance that any Of those proposed
will afford the relief the proponents
assume they will. Furthermore those
having the greatest influence back OF
them are those designed to aid some
particular branch of agriculture
where the greatest capital and politi-
cal influence are organized in sup
port. The wheat growers are really
specialists and capitalists, not far
mers in. the usually accepted mean
ing Of the term. With millions in
Xolyed in grain elevators and In the
machinery of wheat production the
government is being hard pressed by
the investors. who did not curtail war
production Of wheat to correspond
with the demands of peace.
All the porous plasters that may be
devised by politicians for lumbago
In the agricultural region cannot, IL
all that is claimed for their efficacy
be true. afford half the relief to the
real farmers of this country which
would be afforded by lower taxes and
m economical regime at Washington.
The very Congress which is assuming
10 grant relief is on record by its
acts a. extravagant and at heart OPP
posed to tax reduction. Can any good
he, expected of a legislative body that
favors measures which would eat up
evsry dollar of the surplus and run
the country in debt for more billions:
q body that is dominated by political
patronage and radicals boring from
within? Surely here is no occasion
for confidence and much for appre-
hension.
One Of the measures before Con-
gress Is the McNary-Haugen bill,
which in effect places part of the
agricultural interests in the hands of
the government. which would operate
through the medium Of a corporation.
the membership OF which would in
clude few II any dirt farmers" The
measure as II now stands affords no
assurance that the middlemen would
bot get the middle and big share Of
both ends Of any relief that might
result from II. At best any benefits
arising from II would go chiefly to
che wheat growers, IL there Is any left
SITTER the middlemen get theirs. What
improvement may be made in 1t we
DO not know, and admit we doubt
whether anyone in this Congress
really knows.
As II now stands this measure
you'd be designed to affect the SELL
sng price of wheat both at home and
Abroad. But the price abroad will
not be fixed by any American con-
grecs when Canada, Australia and
Argentina are increasing their pro-
duction and raising wheat more
Sheaply than it is possible for the
American growers to raise II. But
The agricultural bloc in Congress
favors the McNary- Haugen bill and
certain Of the experts in the depart
nent, who may never have succeeded
d raising a hill of potatoes even
imall ones, have approved It. Under
the circumstances IL would seem
Sificult for the President to deter
mine in advance just what the meas
Ore may or may not do. He knows
Chat agriculture is depressed, that
prosperity in the country will in
SUITABLY be seriously affected by such
depression long continued. He has
said that mo plan for government
fixing OF prices. and no resort to the
public treasury will be Of any perma-
nent value In establishing agricul-
thre."
The minority report Of the COM
mittee having this measure before 1t
declares that to put It in operation
will require the services OF fifty
thousand government employees. This
means the adding Of another aggre-
cation Of placeholders to plead for
continuance Of their jobs. All this
raises doubt whether any such \
measure can possibly. IN the end at
lsast. be Of any advantage to the
country or even to the. farmers d.
rectly affected by It.