The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-12-09
Without waste Of

terizes Coolidge papers. Without waste Of
words, without divagations into complex argu-
ments, the President goes steadily and sturdily
about his task Of summing up the affairs Of the
! U. s. A. Unlimited, in nine or ten thousand
words.
Curiosity about this diagnosis Of "the state
of the Union" probably has conferred in what
relief. If better discussion Of the agricul-
tural problem has ever been condensed into
something like thousand words, it has escaped
our attention. The progress made in the past
year is summed up in paragraph-better bal
anced production reduced costs, prices that ap-
proach normal relation to other prices, i'm
proved marketing methods, more diversified
ton. In short, scientific methods in produc-
ton, business principles in marketing.
The Government will support any sound and
workable proposal to help the farmers, whose
main problem is dealing with surplus of pro-
duction. But government price fixing is un-
sound and leads to disaster. A government
subsidy would work out the same way. 1T can
not be sound for all the people to hire some
of the people to produce q crop which neither
the producers nor the rest Of the people want"
Price fixing and subsidy both tend to in
crease the surplus, instead of diminishing it. If
the Government should get behind price fixing
and subsidy, aggravated )by political pressure,
it would soon be obliged to tell the farmer what
and how much and where to plant, and what
and how much and where to sell it.
So runs the Coolidge argument. No plan,
he rightly says, will be of permanent value to
the farmer that does not leave him standing
on his own foundation.
The cure for SURPRISES lies in reduced acre
age. The Government cannot order acreage
reduced. Nor can the individual farmer. But
aided by the Department of Agriculture in
formation, and backed by banks and others who
supply credit, farmer organizations can. The
Government can assist these cooperative organ
izationS in various ways.
This brings the President to an outline of
what may be called the Administration plan:
Set up Federal board Of experts to encourage
the cooperative movement, and provide re-
volving fund at moderate rate of interest for
it's financing. This would not be to lend more
money to the farmer who is already fairly
financed, but to lend money temporarily to ex-
perimental marketing organizations. This was
the method of the War Finance Corporation,
and it worked we'll.
Mr.. Coolidge is not much impressed with
tariff tinkering as farm relief remedy. He
argues with much force that to destroy the
farmers domestic market in order to lower the
prices he pays for manufactured products,
would be foolish. Driving industry to Europe
might help Europe to buy more food, but
Europe might not buy our food. Sixty-five per
cent Of our imports already come in free. Lux
uries and agricultural products account for an
other % per cent. This leaves only IL per cent
for application Of the lowered tariff remedy.
However, the President does not discuss the
much better plan of raising the rates on such
agricultural products as are now imported to
compete with domestic farm products-corn,
butter, poultry, and various vegetable oils
But he is certainly right in opposing any
measure that will injure the high purchasing
lpOWer of the American neOple