The Washington times., 1924-05-09
FARMER NEEDS
DISCUSSED
At MEET
American Farmer Against Nc
Nary-Haugen Bill, Com
rnerce Convention Told
By w. 8. COUSINS.
Copyright. 1924. by Cosmopolitan
News Service)


News Service.)
CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 9.-The
chamber Of commerce of the United
States is fully alive to the needs
Of the American farmer, but its at
utude is we'll summarized in senti.
ments presented on that subject
by Doctor w. w. Jardine, president
Of the Kansas State Agricultural
College, Manhattan. Kan.
h Plenty Of Advice.
1.-THE American, farmers Doctor
Jardine declared, ARE filled\up On
advice from the outside. They want
to ba left alone to work out their
own problems. They would like
businessmen and others, who have
been strong on advice the last few
years, to turn their attention 10
working out a plan whereby the
farmer may purchase a pillow, a set
of harness, a binder and other i'm
plemnets and supplies at cost
commensurate with what he Is able
to get for his wheat. They think
that the business men could ac-
complish great deal along this line
II they would go at 1t strenuously.
1.-The farmer situation will not
be helped through such legislation
as is proposed in the McNary-
Haugen measure now before Con.
gress. The real farmers, the think
ing farmers, feel the same way
about 1t. They have had enough
Government price fixing. They are
not for class legislation. They want
square deal They want business
men and Legislators to make Il pos
sible for them to buy things they
need, and at reasonable cost. They
will do the rest.
Against Bill.
1.-THE plan embodied in the Nc
Nary-Haugen bill Is said not to be
price fixing. yet 1t provides that
the Government buy the farm sur
plus until the price reaches certain
ratios to an all commodity index. .
The Government thus determines
the ratios and consequently the
price.
THE effect Of operation Of the
measure will be to pyramid prices,
increasing the cost Of manufactures.
Thus exports of non-agricultural
imports would break over heetariff
wall and unemployment would be
created. This would reduce con-
sumption of agricultural products.
and we would be lucky If we es-
capped general panic And in such
a situation the farmer. as usual,
would be worse off than any one
else. The plan would stimulate
yhnf oHIn lf1VN
needs is not more production, but
less.
1.-The proposition. under the meas.
ure, is to sell surplus abroad at
less than the domestic price. This
constitutes dumping. a thing
against which we protect ourselves
from foreign countries, and a thing
against which foreign countries
would find a way to protect them
selves with respect to us. Foreign
retaliation might lead to action
which would permanently injure our
world markets"
Convention a Success.
President Julius H. Barnes was
the big driving force behind the
convention, and to his untiring
energy and skillful management Of
details the success of the meet
ing is largely due. Unstinted
praise for the ability and devotion
of its talented leader was fire.
quently> expressed by members Of
the chamber, both on the conven-
ton floor and in hotel Hobbies. This
is emphasized by the realization
that during the past two years
Julius H. Barnes has devoted about
half his time to the work Of the
chamber, without other compensa-
ton than the satisfaction of en-
ploying his broad talents in the in
| terests of American business.