The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-03-02
CONGRESS Is
READY TO ACT
FOR FARMER
Haugen and His House Agri-
culture Committee Will
Soon Be at Work
By CHARLES =. STEWART
(SDecial COrresnondent)

Washington, March 2. Congress is
about ready to look into the farmers
troubles.
Tied up with tax legislation. i:
hasn't been able TO concentrate on
rural relief. but within few days
Chairman Gilbert ~ Haugen and his
house committee on agriculture will
be hard at it.
The majority party has noticed
that the western farm states have
been pretty cranky lately and isn't
easy in its mind about it.
There's Senate committee on ag-
riculturc. too. but it isn't SO distinct
" real farmers committee. Sena-
tcr Norris, its chairman--its chair
, generally makes committee
Lag a great many other interests.
which distract his attention. Con-
gresham Haugcn is an unadulterateI
farmer.
tTo be sure. he's been banker,
but he was a farmers banker. And
he's sold machinery, but It was farm
machincry.1
And he works his fellow commit
tee members like so many farm
hands.
The McNary-llaug Bill
In the last Congress. Senator Nc
Nary and Haugcn introduced, rcspec-
lively in the Senate and house, twin
farm bills, known jointly as the Nc
Nary-Haugcn bill, which quite few
lawmakers SAID was economically un-
sound. For instance. Senator Frazier,
himself farmer, said SO.
The bill didn't pass and hasn't been
rcintroduccd yet.
:. Whether or not 1T will be offered
again depends on what his commit
tee investigation brings out. Haugen
says, but he pooh poohs the idea OF
it's economic unsOundncss.
On the contrary, he declares IT
provides the only workable method
Of giving the same protection to agri-
culture that industry gets from q
tariff and labor from restricted I'M
migration.
It's aim was to set up big corpor-
alton to market all crops.
Say there was surplus. A surplus
means low prices. So the corpora
ton would subtract it and sell the
rest, here at home. ut figures proper
toned to the general American price
level. The public would have to pa!
'cm or starvc.
Surplus Would BE Sold Abroad
The surplus would be sold abroad
for what it would bring.
Today's conditions wouldn't be i'm
proved so far as the exported frac
ton Of the farmers products arr
cpncc. cd, but satisfactory prices
~ Would DC guaranteed to them for al
they sold acre.
A tariff wall would be built t.
prevent the exported products from
getting back into the United States
Neither does Congressman Haugel
think the cost Of food to the consume
would be increased much. He say
prices Of raw products have little re
lation to the prices retail buyers hav
to pay. Thcre'd just be less for mid
dlemen to gobble up.
As for that last clause tabout tn
middlemen) some folks may hav
their doubts.
It Might Work
But the rest Of it. the way HaugcI
tells it, sounds as if it might work.
It's artificial, Of course. but so
protection and SOS immigration re
striction, as the congressman point
out.
There isn't. as matter OF fac
much difference between the McNary
Haugen bill and the Dickinson bil
pending now. Perhaps that's VIII
Haugen doesn't seem greatly interest
cd in reintroducing his own)
Personally Representative Hauge
is fine old congressman. OF IL cor
tinuous terms standing-the thir
longest record in the lower house.