Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-09

In the Curtis-Crisp bill, introduced
in the two houses of Congress last
week by Senator Curtis of Kansas, the
Republican leader, and Representa-.
tive Crisp. Democrat Of Georgia there
apparently is better hope of effective
and sound legislation for the relief
of agriculture than has hitherto ap.
peared upon the horizon. Students. of
the problem who have made an analy.
sis Of the measure are convinced that
it would be at least as effective as
either of the McNary- Haugen pro
grams in caring for crop surpluses,
and it does not embody the fundamen.
tai objection of putting the Govern.
ment into the business either of buy
ing and selling farm commodities or of
fixing the prices thereof.
Briefly, the Curtis Crisp bills pro.
vide for Federal Farm Board and
$3.50, 900 revolving fund to be
furnished from the United States
Treasury. Whenever in the Judgment
any given agricultural commodity be-
yond world requirements, loans would
be made to farm co.operatives or cor
porations organized by them to buy
up the surplus and hold it until it
could be marketed at prices which
would not be below the cost of pro-
duction. The Government would not
be represented on the boards of these
co-operatives or their corporal tons
and the Government, therefore, would
not engage directly either in buying
and selling or in price fixing. The pub
lie is protected by provision that
cooperative or corporation obtain
ing loans from the fund must not hold
back commodities to a point where
prices would be unduly~ enhanced to
American consumers. Loans so made
would bear interest at rate l per
cent above that paid by the Govern
ment in It's last previous borrowing.
The so-called Equalization fee"
which has been objected to on the
grounds that 1t would he unconsti.
tutional and unavoidable. Ia eliminated
from the Curtis-C Crisp bill. Instead, 1t
reserve fund shall be created against
years of loss and that in the absence
of sufficient reserve any losses In
one operating period would be carried
a,ar 20 fba rnv+ onrafin~ rariod a1a
in the face of such losses immediate
repayment of Government loans would
not be required.
Another objection to the McNary-
operation would be a constant slim
illus to continued overproduction and
the piling of surplus upon surplus.
The Curtis Crisp bill guards against
this by a provision that loans shall
not be made from the revolving fund
IL ensuing production OF such COM
modify shows an increase in planting
or breeding, estimates OF the Depart
ment of Agriculture on such planting
or breeding to be accepted as au-
thoritative.
With such nucleus to work upon
It would seem that 1t ought not to be
difficult for all who are sincerely de-
sirous of obtaining relief for agricul-
ture to agree upon q measure which
could be enacted into law at the pres
ent session OF Congress. That some
thing should be done to put agricul-
ture upon a sound and enduring basis
is not alone a corn-belt problem or a
cotton.belt problem or even solely
an agriculture problem. It Ia a press
ing Nationwide problem of the first
magnitude. Lincoln said the Nation
could not endure half slave and half
free, and it is equally true that the
Nation cannot endure half prosperous
must he enabled to partake of the
general prosperity or the entire
structure of prosperity will come
tumbling down.
The Curtis-Crisp bill Is not parti-
san measure, for 1t Is fathered by
| the Republican leader OF the Senate
and a prominent Democratic member
| of the House 1t 10 not a sectional
| measure, for one Of Its authors Is
from the West and the other from
the South. Partisan political ad-
vantage is not TO be gotten out of It..
Now 1t is needful that hopes Of per-
sonal political advantage should be
surrendered and the subject ap-
preached solely from the viewpoint
of what is good for the farmer and
for all the people. II this can be done
the problem will he solved. and solved
right, and the Congress in its closing
DAYS will win an esteem that will
largely make up for the many short
comings which have been charged
against 1t.