Evening star., 1924-08-15

mo individual or group of II
| mental favors in return for party
vent the lowering Of the standards of
pay and living for the American wage
Garner toward the misery scale that
| prevails abroad has ever been de-
vised. Were such protection removed.
| the result would be felt at every fire.
| side In the land. Our industry would
languish. factories would close, COM
merce and transportation would be
stagnant, agriculture would become
paralyzed. financial distress and eco
nomic depression would reach over
| the whole country. Before we are
! carried away with any visionary ex-
pectation OF promoting the public
welfare by a general avalanche of
cheap goods from foreign sources,
| imported under a system which, what :
ever 1t may be called. is in reality
free trade. 1t will be we'll first to
| count the cost and realize Just what
such proposal really means.
Will Exercise Elasticity.
Il am for protection because it
maintains American standards of liy-
ing and of business. for agriculture,
| industry, and labor. l am in favor
OF the elastic provisions of our tariff
| law l propose to administer them,
mot politically, but judicially. AS the
! business of the world becomes sta
bilized. without throwing all our
economic system into confusion, we
can raise or lower specific schedules
| to meet the requirements of a scien-
tific adjustment.
Il confess that my inheritance and
personal experience have bred in me
a keen interest in the welfare of ag-
! riculture. Perhaps the very hard
| ships that those who have been en-
| gagged in 1t have encountered have
caused 1t to be the chief source of
that independence and stalwart cit
ixenshfp which has contributed SO
lavishly to the glory of American
life. 1t constitutes an element in our
| Nation OF such importance as to be
worthy of the utmost solicitude and
| concern. One of our first thoughts
in 1921 was for its relief and revival
AS many as Is laws have been passed
to assist and support this funda-
mental industry. Through the War
Finance Corporation. it has been ex-
tended credits of between $500, 900. .00t
| and $400.000.000 In addition to this
| Government activity provided about
$50, 100000 from private sources for
the relief of the cattle industry. and
in the early Spring of this year a
$10.000.000 corporation was formed
| which it was estimated could furnish
| 500, 900. 900 for diversification and
financial relief in the Northwest. The
Intermediate Credit Banks have
loaned over &S6,000,000 to individuals
and cooperative marketing associa-
tions, which assisted directly and in
directly over 100000 farmers.
Recalls Farm Ills.
Notwithstanding all this, agricul.
ture was subjected to an era of most
serious depression. Several of its
| great staples like cotton, cattle, hogs
corn and wheat, suffered from low
| prices. due to overproduction. unbal.
| anced conditions between costs and
sale prices in agriculture, industry
and labor, and the disorganization OF
the markets Of the world. But fol
the enormous buying power which the
high wages of industry put behind
the market for American food prod.
ucts, especially meat, the agricultural
regions would have experienced ever
far more severe financial crisis.
| Due to change in the world sup
ply, prices of products have beguI
to improve. even so far as to increase
land values. The Government rem
dered a great deal of assistance ant
private enterprise co-operated, bu
the fundamental remedy was provid
ed, as it always must be provided, no
50 much through the enactment o
legislative laws as through the work
ing out of economic laws. Becaus'
the farmers have thoroughly realized
this, they have on the whole oppose,
price-hxing by legislation. Whil'
maintaining that sound position, the.
have seen a partial relief come in
natural way, as it was bound to come
Urges Co-opertive Marketing.
I'VE now need in agriculture NOR
, organization. cooperation and divers
the benefit of legislation providinl
for flood control and development o
inland waterways, better navigation
, east and soath from the Great Lakes
reclamation, and especially relief 70
those who cannot meet their pay
. ments on irrigation projects. Blu
J the main problem is marketing. Co
operative effort, reorganization of tn
freight-rate structure, good business
and good wages in manufacturing
and the settlement of European af
fairs will all help to provide bette
market conditions.
"The Republican platform recog
nizes that agriculture should be OF
, a basis Of economic equality witt
other industries. This is easy to say
. but the farmers themselves and thef
, advisers have never been able t
agree on . plan to provide 1t by Law
Now that nature and economic Lax
! have given some temporary relief,
! propose, therefore, to appoint com
' mittee to investigate and repor
r measures to the Congress in Decem
: Der that may help secure this resul
| which we all desire. want profltabi
l agriculture established permanent,
= want to see the dollar OF the farm
: ers always purchase as much as an
= other dollar.
: "A wise, skilled. and unselfis
4 leadership can do more than any
3 thing else to rescue agriculture. Th
q farmer needs leaders who will sta
with him, who have the tact and tn
courage necessary for Management
q and who have the hdelity to refus
political preferment and business or
. rortunity. There are such leader
: In the sacrifices they make to serv
I the farmer lies the greatest hope to
a his salvation.
Those who toll have always prof
e tied from Republican control of Gov
q ernment. Under the policy OF pro
: lection ana restrictive immigratio