Evening star., 1926-01-03
Farmers Must Agree.


demand for legislation dealing with
the farm crop surplus is expected to
gain added impetus. Yet, as the legis-
lators are assembling. the fact stands
out markedly that they are widely
divided still. If anything is to be
done there must be a meeting Of
minds. 1t is the failure of the farm.
ers themselves and their representa-.
tives in Congress to agree on what
should be done that has prevented
action in the past
The administration very wisely is
seeking to bring about understanding
and agreement with regard to the
surplus crops and their handling. The
fact that 1t is willing and anxious
to deal with the surplus problem has
been interpreted in some quarters as
a surrender by the administration of
It's position in opposition to a Govern
ment export corporation. to buy and
sell and to fix prices. There has been
no such abandonment, and the soon
~ NAAe ooNOSdtoS VI suCu d. course
realize this the better. To force
through a measure for a Government
export corporation over the protest
Of the administration would not be
possible in the present Congress. On
the other hand, there would be found
clear majority. even a large ma.
jority, favoring a measure designed
to aid the farmers in the better
disposition of the surplus crops.
The position OF Representative John
Clark Ketcham Of Michigan. Repub-
lican. a member of the House com.
mittee on agriculture and a former
master Of the Michigan Grange, is
evidence that the Middle West is
itself widely divided over the surplus
problem. While Mr.. Ketcham is
eager to bring some measure Of aid
to the farmers, he is firmly back of
the administration in its opposition
to Government price fixing and pur.
chase of commodities. Mr.. Ketcham.
discussing the farm crop surplus
problem, asserts that the vast ma.
jority of farmers themselves are op-
posed to such proposals.
From Wisconsin word is brought
here. too, that the farmers are by no
means in a majority in support Of
Government price fixing of wheat and
corn and other commodities, or any
attempt by the Government to enter
into the business of purchasing these
staples for export. The farmers of
Wisconsin are in the main prosper
GUS. There are many dairy farmers
in the State whose interest does not
lie in large increases of the price of
wheat and corn, since they must
feed their cattle.
The drop In prices Of corn last year
has been largely responsible for the
recrudescence of the demand for an
export corporation, operated by the
Government. The wheat farmers,
with prices of wheat we'll up, have
shown comparatively little interest in
the matter in recent months. Yet
corn enters little into foreign export
business. The peoples Of Europe do
not eat corn nor use corn meal as do
Americans. Even in the United States
corn is mainly valuable as feed for
cattle. hogs and sheep. Corn used
to fatten hogs and cattle and sheep
brings a good return to the farmers
who produce 1t and fatten live stock
for sale.
The resentment of the Western
farmer rests not only on his own
failure to obtain adequate returns
for his produce, but also on the fact
that Congress through legislation has
particularly benefited the industries
and labor and the transportation sys-
tens. The McCumber-Ford tariff
act. the Adamson law, the trans
portation act, the immigration act
and other laws are held up by the
farmers as examples Of what has been
done by Congress for the industries
and for labor, effectually increasing
their profits and prosperity.
If the farmers are to attain a
measure of relief they must reach
some agreement, some common
ground, with reference to the surplus
crops. With the administration bend.
ing It's efforts to aid In the solution
Of the problem, it appears there is
excellent opportunity for constructive
action, but always with the under
standing that the farmers themselves
can unite on what they want.