Evening star., 1926-05-20

prices "f non agricultural comino,
llet are now - par cent higher tl.a-
they We're III 1871. while the pu.rha~
ing poWcr Of farm products ht-
shrunkeu to only ~ per cent.
The average price Of farm Il3
compared wllh 1870 dropped % =.
per Cent by 1924 and Eurdrcds r..
thousands of farmers. CSperia}l.
many who had bought additions,
land at the high prices. lost all ;he..
holdings.
American farming is suffering uo.
alone from the speculative intl4
tion Of prices immediately tolloUiu.
the World War. but also from ner
competition abroad. in the devoIop
ment Of land in Canada. Argentine
New Zealand and Africa, and al~n
IL the financial stringencv OF or
best customers. the people Of F.uropc
OHr farm leaders point 10 Tho
action OF other governments in 81
tempting to stabilize their markets
by valorizatjou of foOdS-Bra2u as
to coffee, Germany as to rye tS7.00o.-
GOO appropriated last week by Ger
many 10 buy rye, to bc stored alu
sold gradually at market rates.
r
Prior To the World War the J-uited
States owed Europe vast amounts.
which bore heayv interest. The war
turned the scales so that we ceased
TO pay interest abroad That interest
had been paid III hogs. grain and
other farm products. which now find
no such outlet. except what is forced
upon her markets at reduced prices.
bringing direct losses to our farmers
For the last II years. Congress-
has sought to help solve the prob
lens OF agriculture. In 1914. the
smith Lever act supplied COUNT
agricultural agents for the formers
aid i'm advanced methods " 1916.
tho Federal Farm Loan Bank svs-
TEN was established. The emergency
tariff Of 1920 and the revived Wa
Finance Corporation and the rural
credits act have helped. but insum
GENTLY TO meet special conditions
Inc organization of cooperative
marketing associations has been CT
cOuraged with more or less success
but still it is inadequate relief. So,
the farm leaders.
Farm bIocs i'll Congress set out tn
fix farm prices 10y law or hy Coy
ernment-aided mOnopolies rf farm,
staples, such rs the McNary- Hanger
bill of 1928, which would Segregatc
the eXpOrtable surplus Of farm sta
pies and export as the market cucOul-
aged. This principle is similar tn
ValOriZatiOn Of coffee i'm Brazil or The
buying up of rye bv Germany The
bill was defeated i'm the House and
never voted upon in the Senate. l.
was opposed by President Coolidge IS
false economics.
In the Sixty-eighth Congress came
the Dickinson bill a. modification of
the McNary- -Haugen principle, but or.
posed by the President and by Sc.
retarieS Hoover Of the Department ,'
Commerce and Jariine Of the De
partment of Agriculture. IIowcvcr
strongly the administration has u,.
posed the Dickinson bill the farmers
have supported II,
More recently q bill introduced
by Representative TinCher has been
urged. as modifying the Governmcu.
subsidy of the Dickinson bin. The
Tincher bill would establish a Fed
eral farm advisory council made W
of three members from each OF the
12 Federal land bank districts. II
also provides a farmers marketing
commission of members-the Secrc-
tary of Agriculture and 6 to he ap-
pointed by the President. with the
confirmation of the Senate. These
six must be chosen from Is nominees
presented by the advisory council.
A measure for cooperative market
ing known as the Administration or
Jardine bill, now in the Senate, also
embodies some of the Tincher prin-
ciples. The Tincher proposition would
require s100,000,000 to build ware
houses-to be repaid, eventually, by
the farmers. IT also asks for a re.
volving fund with which TO do bust
ness. 1t would require Il total Of
$3.50 900 900 for loans to co-operattveS
and 10 cover losses on exports of
staples bought at liked prices to AID
producers.
SCepyright~ 1a26<.Ly- Psssls|E. CoiiRs.A