Evening star., 1927-11-13


trial Conference Board and the Chamber
of Commerce of the United States. After
the commission has completed its work.
and its recommendations are embodied in
The following article by Mr.. Nagel
BY CHARLES NAGEL,
Chairman, Business Mems Commission on
Agriculture.
- ERIOUS and careful considera
tion Of the agricultural situation
makes it clear that in relation
~ to it, the United States is con
fronted with question Of fun
damental national concern and of per-
manent importance to the American
people.
The evidence is clear that American
agriculture has undergone prolonged
and trying readjustment to postwar
conditions, in the course of which
those engaged in it have suffered Sc.
riously in their relative economic pros
perity in comparison with those en-
gagged in other fields. On the human
side, it has been deprived of the en-
ergy, experience and knowledge of
many thousands of farmers who have
lost their resources and have been
persuaded or compelled to leave the
farm for other occupations, while the
land resources of the Nation have
USCl lpdl1C NY AIOSAONS eAhN NeSh>
full exploitation under the pressure to
which those who remained on the
farm have been subjected.
Subject to Many Ills.
Agriculture in this country also ap.
pears to be subject to certain deep
lying ills which time alone cannot
safely be relied upon to cure, but may
even accentuate. There is evidence
that real as well as money costs
in the industry are rising; that we are
not keeping our old superiority over
competitors; that the fertility of the
land is being impaired; that erosion is
insidiously and constantly carrying
away layer Of irreplaceable surface
soil not only from the hillsides but over
practically the whole area devoted to
plowed crops: that many, If not most,
farmers are year after year failing to
secure a return equivalent to that
which can be obtained in the city by
workers of no greater ability; that the
comparative advantage of other indus
tries is rapidly increasing; that the
obstacles to the extension of markets
for farm products are growing more
effective: that the difficulties of i'm
proving the organization and methods
Of agriculture are increasing; that the
year-by-year fluctuations in the prices
of farm commodities are growing ever
more severe and are increasing the
hazard under which the farmer car.
ries on his occupation; that tenancy is
increasing, and that the quality of the
farm population is undergoing pro-
gressive deterioration.
Our national policies in respect to
industry, trade and international rela-
tions all have a profound bearing on
4. Dat f1n osY
in agricultural policies should hare in
view such Improvement in the eco
nomic position of the farmer as is
consistent with the wisest utilization
of our land resources and the develop
ment of types of farmers and Of rural
life which will make not only greater
farm prosperity but for the longtime
social and political welfare Of the Ma
tion as whole.
Cooperation Stressed.
A sound national agricultural policy
conceived in this way cannot rest
upon governmental action alone, but
requires active participation and CO.
operation of farmers and of other eco
nomic groups as well as that Of local,
state and Federal governmental au-
thorities. The putting into execution
of such a policy necessarily Will be a
matter of gradual development ana
cannot spring complete from the
brain Of any individual or group. IL
is i'm this spirit that the commission
proposes the following suggestions as
10 ways in which the economic po'
sition of American agriculture may pe
improved, and basis PROVIDED 1or
the gradual development OF compre.
bensive national agricultural poiicy:
f11 The commission believes that
efforts should be made more nearly
IN eoualize, as between agriculture
and manufacturing industry, sucn
benefits as the existing protective
tariff system can afford to both. Pro-
tectiye policies which tend to place
artificial obstacles in the way OF ma
tural and normal extension OF markets
for American farm products and whlcn
tend to increase domestic costs OF
their production, should be subjected
TO careful reconsideration with a view
to euualizing their efforts.
The economic position of agricul-
ture would obviously be improved II
farmers could secure higher prices for
their products, or find markets for
more of them at prevailing prices, or
reduce their costs of production. 1t Is
recognized that the reduction Of costs
of production and the extension Of ag-
ricultural markets is necessarily a
slow and difficult process which for
the most part does not depend so much
on legislative action Is on other rae
tors. For this reason those who feel
that immediate public action for the
relief of agriculture is necessary, have
turned 70 various proposals for legis-
lation designed to raise the prices of
farm products, relative to the prices Of
other commodities. While it may be
quite possible to do this by legislative
action, the commission believes that
II can be done only by means which
are unsound in principle. which arti-
fically and arbitrarily alter the rela-
tions between supply and demand and
which promise no permanent relief.
Proposals Attacked.
Accordingly, the commission finds it
impossible to support any Of the legis-
lative proposals of the type repre-.
sented by the McNary-Haugen bill and
others designed to raise the domestic
over the world market price by arti-
fically restricting the supply of agri-
cultural products in the home market.
But the commission does believe that
the interests of American agriculture
would be better served by intelligent
and discriminating effort to diminish
gradually those trade restrictions and
tariffs on manufactured articles which
tend to reduce the foreign market fol-
our agricultural products. The more
so. inasmuch as the shifting OF the
United States from a debtor to cred
itor nation has further tended to in
crease the difficulty of American agri
culture of marketing it's products
abroad. Until such time as the foreign
market for farm products can be ma
terially improved in this way withou
at the same time injuring the domes
tic market. agriculture also should b.