The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1924-01-17

rlon would be operated at loss OF
nhors Fifty million year but would
meet a much felt need OF cheap lei-
+;l;zer Now. it seems that many mem,
hers If congress hold the view tna'
!, sbonld bill pass both houses, IL
would have the approval of the presi-
dent TO the extent that the govern
on+ onerate mussel shoals even at
Lose Of fifty million a year. 1t would
1 seem strange that the government
sbould want to operate the mussei
shoals at such loss when Henry Ford
offers TO assume that responsibility.
II seems that the administration 1ears
that Ford control of the mussel shoals
would give him political prestige at
the coming election, so it looks ike a
possibility of spiking Ford's guns at
the start. and if Ford can oper te 1t
at loss of fifty million a year, the
government in order to get the agr1-
culturist's vote could take
chance at it. Fifty million dollars loss
annually to get cheap fertilizerl How
much good would cheap fertilizer DO
the average wheat growers, who DO
not use itq But fifty million dollars
ism It much in politics.
There is little question but what the
federal government could handle our
surplus export wheat of two hundred
million bushels at a less than fifty
million loss annually, which would
help to restore agriculture to sound
and self-supporting basis.
There is little hope Of getting any
farm relief congress that will be of
any material relief. AS farmers we are
unorganized and have no political
prestige. AS one senator recently
stated on his speaking tour. st is
votes that count in congress. We
have many farm organizations, but
little coordination between them and
not sufficient voting strength in any
one to have any weight with congress,
we need one great union of the agri-
culturist. Not all will join the farm
ers Union, the Grange, the Farm Bur
eau nor the Wheat Growers Associa
ton, but all can unite in one union in
voting strength in order to secure just
and equal legislation for the agricul-
turist. Secretary of Agriculture Wal
I.ao =. b;a .aoan+ N, acroro IN tho nrasi-
dent has good understanding of the
agriculture situation when he states
that twenty-five per cent of the farm
ers In the western wheat growing
states are in bankruptcy. Only /
doubt if he put it quite strong enough.
If twenty-five per cent of the western
railroads were in bankruptcy owing to
low freight rates they would set up
howl that would reach the skies, and
they would never cease until rates
we're raised sufficiently to place them
again on a paying basis. But the
farmer puts me in mind of poodle
dog that gets hit on the side of his
head with a brick. He runs around
and around the house and yelps but
doesn't make himself heard farther
than across the road and then because
some one does not come running with
some salve for his ear and throw 1t
inside the front gate he shuts up like
a nice little boy and sits down and
says, "We can t do anything, we have
tried it before. - External vigilance is
the price of liberty said one of our
statesmen. Eternal vigilance and the
united effort on the part of every in
dividuaI who is interested in the liv
ing price on wheat to petition, write,
wire congress and let it be clearly
known that we are expecting some ac-
ton by this congress to square the
government with the wheat grower for
the unjust treatment during the war
time price-fixing on wheat. No one rs
going to come and put gold brick
on our shoulder We will only get it
by unitedly going after it ourselves.
We do not ask charity We do not
want bonus, neither finance on an
already profitless business. We only
ask, as all other businesses do price
above the cost of production. This
will put the agriculture industry back
on sound basis in its position of re-
spect where it rightfully belongs
There are at this time several agricul-
tural relief plans before congress or
viii be soon, and as farmers we must
study these different plans and decide
on the merit of each bill, and finally
decide on and endorse one certain
measure, and that to be a measure
which farmers and the heads of farm
organizations and business men of the
farm districts will endorse. So it may
be seen that we are united on one def
mite plan. Then call mass meetings all |
over the country as we did last winter
and unanimously petition congress and
keep the wires hot and with many per
sonal letters to our senators and rep
resentatives to support and enact agri-