The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-01-03

the campaign.
Has Strong Endorsement
This presentation of the Tariff
Export Corporation plan is not hello
out as complete or perfect, but only
as outlining in brief the proposed
action.
For a year and a half this plar
has been accorded close study by
economists and experts, as well as
farm leaders, bankers and business
men of the Northwest, and is pro-
nounced by men of authority to be
the most feasible of any plan yet
suggested for doing a necessary bit
of work. 1t has been studied in de-
tail by economists of the United
States Department of Agriculture
and passed upon by them as work
able and worthy of immediate and
serious consideration.
The officers of the Export Cor
p~oration League feel that farmers
and business interests of the nation
owe much to Henry c. Wallace, sec
rotary of agriculture, for his cour-
ageous declaration before a group of
business men in Chicago recently, in
favor of positive action to make the
farm prices with the gen.
eral price level, on behalf of national
prosperity. In this address Secre-
tary Wallace referred to the plan
outlined herein as "the most feasible
yet presented to the department for
study"
Whom Plan Effcts
This plan, if realized by govern
ment action, affects farmers, cattle
men, bankers, merchants and pro-
fessional men. If agricultural prices
are restored, everyone will feel the
effect. 1t will quicken trade, pay
debts, and place a solid foundation
beneath farm land ~ownership and
operation.
Congress and the President of the
United States are merely asked for
action that will make effective for
agriculture the same degree of act
ual protection now afforded industry
and labor in this country.
Some Objections and Questions
with brief suggestions how to meet
and answer them
Isn't this class legislation? Act
ion to secure agricultural price res
toration would extend its benefits
generally beyond any one class. If
the Tariff Export Corporation plan
is class legislation, then so is the
protective tariff, The Transportation
act, our immigration laws, the fed
eral eserv banking act, u whole
mass of legislation for the protection
Of banking, railroad and financial
interests, and countless other accept
ID forms of legislation.
Is it price fixing? 1t is not. Prices
would fiuctuate with other commodi-
les, but on the same level with, not
ar below them. 1t would do away
With wheat prices saying down while
General prices remained up.
Is it workable? On what grounds
5 the plan called unavoidable. 1t
creates the additional machin-
ny required to make a protective
effective for agriculture. 1t
would remove a surplus, or the talk
f a surplus, before it had a chance
o damage the domestic price level.
Can the tax be collected? The
objection Of the tax would be as
as the collection of the pres
mt amusement tax, or the luxury
ak. the tax on freight charges, tele-
raph bills, or scores of other taxes
uring the war. 1t would be a re-
ersed sales tax on the commodity
ltrinsically benefited in price by
ne corporation financed by the tax.
Does it interfere with private bust
ess? Such interference would not
e necessary. The operation would
OF replace anyone rendering a legi- {
mate service in handling commodi- {
es included in the scope of the cor ]
oration's activities. Legitimate I
are not concerned with keep
prices down, but only with the a
3portunity to collect reasonable pay @
n services rendered. \
Would the sale abroad constitute n
"dumping?" There would E
no greater quantity of any agri- 1
Iltural crop sold abroad under this 0
than would have to find a mark n
abroad under any circumstances. St
lie only difference would be that S
e export sales would be handled 81
orderly fashion with much less ten a
ncy to effect world prices unfavor- Il
ly than in the present era of hap ri
zard sales. The same reply APP e.
to the objection that foreign e
vernments might be led by this to fl
ze retaliatory steps. AS a mat s;
of fact foreign governments could g
object to any plan which cl
We their W laborers foodstuffs 81
a price lower than the domestic al
eel maintained in the United States II
nmercially a competitive nation. d.
}ould not c%ooperatives do the same as