The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1924-01-24
PROTECTION FOR THE FARMER
A Plan Now in Congress on Which
Every Farmer should Center His
Efforts; Quit Scattering.

The final draft of bin incorporat-
ing the American Wheat Growers AS
sociated plan or increasing the do
nestle price of wheat was completed
and introduced in both houses of
congress ON Wednesday. The meas
ure will hereafter be known as the
McNary Haugen bill, Senator Me.
Nary of Oregon and Representative
Haugen of Iowa, chairman of the
house committee on agriculture, being
its joint sponsors.
The bin provides for the establish
ment of an export commission with
power to market the exportable por-
tion of farm commodities, wheat, live
stochb cotton, etc. The corporation
would have the power to deal through
present trade establishments or to
do the actual marketing. 1t is not
the thought back of those drafting the
bill to destroy or injure existing mar
keting agents except where unavoid-
able, but the authority to buy and
sell, if necessary, is advisable in order
TO insure fun benefits to the producer.
The federal establishment would
be empowered to determine the fair
exchange value" for wheat or other
products, basing the price so that the
commodity would equal in purchasing
power the value of the price paid to
farmers during the pre-war years of
1908 and 1914. In eases where tho
world price for the commodity is less
than the determined "fair exchange
value = the export corporation would
be empowered to deduct sum from
the sales price of the total domestic
production of the commodity and APP
ply the fund so secured as premium
to the portion sold for export. In the
case of wheat, for example, a total of
approximately 800,q00,000 bushels is
produced, of which less than 100000
900 bushels is exported. So every 10
cents per bushel collected as an ex-
else tax would be applied at the rate
of forty cents bushel as bounty to
the export price, raising the domestic
price proportionately.
The total cost of this bounty under
the operation of tho export corpora
tion will be paid from the excise tax
collected on the production, so that
no portion Of the expense will fall
upon the government to be paid by
general taxation.
Under the present conditions the
American manufacturer and all labor
employed by him enjoy the benefits
of protective tariff. Agriculture,
whenever connected with the produc-
tion of product of which we have
an exportable suralus, is forced to
compete with the peasant classes of
Europe in the marketing of their pro-
duct and receive the same price as the
European peasant receives, less Che
cost of transportation to Europe.
Under the tariff protection con-
by the authors of this plan
agriculture would be placed in the
same position and enjoy the same ben
efits of the protective tariff enjoyed
by the manufacturing industries, for
The bounty on the exportable portion
Of agricultural products would result
in comparable increase in domestic
prices, thus bringing the total price
evel of the commodity to point de-
ermined by the commission to be fair.
The bill is an evolution of the plan
If George M. Peek and H. s. johnson
# the Moline Plow company, Secre-
ary Of Agriculture Henry G. Wal
ace, and other leading economists of
he United States It is being active
Y supported by organizations of the
xport commission league of agricur-
ural and business interests in the
tates Of Washington, Idaho,i Mon
ana, and Mississippi Valley states.
There are several copies of this bill
n our community Why not hold u
lass meeting at the Community Han
q this city for the consideration of
he measure, and let our county get
nitedly back Of the movements This
i'll promises the relief the farmers
lust have. It is fairer than the ex-
'ting tariff laws, protecting the pro-
ucts of the manufacturers against
oreign competition. 1t is the farm
RS best way out of his difficulties
o gain its benefits, however, he
lust come unitedly to its support.