The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-03-13
Measure Is Designed to Take
Care Of Farm Surplus for
Export and Stabilize Prices
Opposition to Bill is in
Three Classes, Says Author
(Ry GEORGE w. RRlTT)

aSnlhptOn. March ID. IN the laSt
congress it was the McNary Haugen
bill; now it is the Dickinson bill.
The new bill is designed to take
care of our farm surplus for export
and stabilize prices.
"The bill will enable the farmer
to help himself in just the same wa!
as any big manufacturer who has
an export business can help himself :
says Representative l.. J. Dickinson
Of lcv a. author Of the bill.
-.-s 4.. misunderstanding company pro
ducing automobiles, for instance
sees its output will exceed the home
demand. II decides to sell abroad at
reduced price. But these foreign
sales are not permitted to swing the
home market and beat down the
price Of automobiles here.
Who's Against 1t
The opposition, according to Rep
rcscntative Dickinson, is in three
classes.
First and strongest, he believes. IS
the speculative grain trade. With
its new machinery for marketing,
the BIN would eliminate the grain
pits. It would not affect the broker
who simply buys and sells Oh cons
mission"
Second arc those who believe this
new machinery for giving the farm-
cr higher selling price will increase
the cost Of living. The bills author
answers this by saying that when
the price of grain goes down, bread
doesn't sell any cheaper.
Third, he says, arc those who favor
tariff reduction to lower the cost of
what the farmer has to buy.
Aswell Fears Politics
A fourth objection is raised by
Representative James B. Aswei of
Louisiana, ranking Democrat on the
House agricultural committee.
"This bill puts American agrieul-
ture under government control
which means political control" says
Representative Aswell.
"This feature is the heart o. the
hill and it cannot be amended to
eliminate it. Therefore | am against
it. 1t is rewriting Of the McNary-
Haugen bill and is not even as good
bill as that was.
"The remedy for bad farm condi-
tions is in the farmers = own hands
in broadened and more efficient CO.
operative organization"
Hearings on the bill before the
committee on agriculture are now
under way. Former Governor Frank
o. Lcwden of Illinois is an enthus-
iastic advocate. Edwin T. Meredith
former secretary of agriculture, is
one Of the farm leaders opposing it.
What New Bill Is
The bill would create an advisory
council, selected by the farm co.
operatives, to nominate members OF
the federal farm board. The .secre-
tary of agriculture would be one OF
the seven board members. The board
would supervise the disposal Of the
export surplus.
"When the board foresees a sur
plus it would advise cooperative as
sociations whose function is to dis
pose Of the export portion of the
CROP" says Representative Dickin-
son. "These associations would buy
at the domestic price and sell abroad
at the world price. The deficit re-
sultlng will be met by charging the
producers a certain estimated fee on
all products entering the general
trade channels.
"The farmer can we'll afford to pay
fee of cents a bushel on corn if,
by removing the bugaboo of the sur
plus from the market, he can insure
domestic price of 10 to Is cents a
bushel higher than otherwise. He
will eliminee the element which now
cuts his price.
"This plan will stabilize both the
market and production and lead
away from the twin evils of over
production and excessive price,