Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-25
TEXT OF PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

TEXT OF PRESII
The full text of President Coolidge's
message to the Senate vetoing the
McNary Haugen bill follows:
1.-THE conditions which Senate bill
1903 is designed to remedy have been,
and still are. unsatisfactory in many
cases. No one can deny that the
prices of many farm products have
been out of line with the general
price level for several years. No one
could fail to want every proper step
taken to assure to agriculture a just
and secure place in our economic
scheme. Reasonable and constructive
legislation to that end would be thor.
oughly justified and would have the
hearty support Of all who have the
interests of the Nation at heart. The
difficulty with this particular measure
is that it is not framed to aid farmers
as a whole. and 1t is, furthermore,
calculated to injure rather than pro-
mote the general public welfare.
ut is automatic that progress is
made through building on the good
many years-indeed, from before the
day Of modern agricultural science
balance and diversified farming has
been regarded by thoughtful farmers
and scientists as the safeguard of our
agriculture. The bill under consider.
alton throws this aside as of no con-
sequence. 1t says in effect that all
the agricultural scientists and all the
thinking farmers of the last so years
are wrong, that what we ought to do
is not to encourage diversified agri-
culture. but instead put a premium on
one.crop farming.
Singles Out Certain Lines.
1.-The measure discriminates def
nitely against products which make up
what has been universally considered
a program of safe farming. The bill
upholds as ideals Of American farm
ing the men who grow cotton, corn.
rice. swine, tobacco. or wheat, and
nothing else. These are to be given
special favors at the expense OF the
farmer who has toiled for years to
build UP constructive farming enter
prise to include variety of crops and
lice stock that shall, so far as possible.
be safe, and keep the soil, the far
mer's chief asset, fertile and pro-
ductive.
1.-THE bill singles out few products.
chiefly sectional. and proposes to
raise the prices OF those regardless of
the fact that thousands of other farm
ers would be directly penalized. If
this Is a true farm-relief measure,
why does 1t leave out the producers of
beef cattle. sheep. dairy products,
poultry products, potatoes, hay, fruit,
x,a0 o. &c ha 30
the other important agricultural
lines? So far as the farmers as
whole are concerned, this measure Is
not for them. 1t Is for certain groups
of farmers in certain sections of the
country. Can it be thought that such
legislation could have the sanction of
the rank and file of the Nations
farmers?
This measure provides specifically
for the payment by the Federal board
of all losses, costs and charges of
packers. millers. cotton spinners or
other professors who are operating
under contract with the board. 1t
contemplates that the packers may be
commissioned by the Government to
buy hogs enough to create q near
scarcity In this country, slaughter the
hogs, sell the pork products abroad
at a loss, and have their losses, costs.
and charges made good out OF the
pockets of farm taxpayers. The
millers would be similarly commits
stoned to operate in wheat or corn
and have their losses, coats and
charges paid by farm taxpayers.
Question Of Authority.
"It is roughly estimated that in this
country there are 1000 millers, over
1000 meat-packing plants. and about
1000 actual spinners. No one can say
definitely after reading this bill
whether each of these concerns would
be entitled to receive a contract with
the Government. Certainly no inde-
pendent concern could continue in
business without one. Each of the
agencies holding contract-the EN-
cient and inefficient alike-would be
reimbursed for all their losses, costs
and charges.
aft seems almost incredible that the
PRODUCERS Of hogs. corn, wheat, rice,
tobacco and cotton should be onereo
a scheme of legislative relief In which
the only persons who are guaranteed
a. profit are the exporters, packers,
millers, cotton spinners and other
professors.
CLEARLY this legislation involves
governmental fixing of prices. IL
gives the proposed Federal board az
mcst unlimited authority to fix prices
on the designated commodities. This
is price fixing, Furthermore. on some
OF the Nations basic foods and mate
rails. Nothing is more certain than
that such price fixing would upset the
normal exchange relationships exist
ing in the open market and that 1t
would finally have to be EXTENDED TO
cover a multitude of other goods and
services. Government price fixing,
once started, has alike no justice and
no end. It is an economic folly from
which this country has every right 70
be spared.
This legislation proposes. in ef-
feet. that Congress shall delegate 70
a Federal Farm Board. nominated by
farmers, the power to fix and collect
a tax, called an equalization fee. on
certain products produced by those
farmers. That certainly contemplates
a remarkable delegation OF the taxing
power. The purpose Of that tax, 1t
may be repeated. is to pay the losses
incurred In the disposition OF the sur
plus products in order to raise the
price on that portion OF the products
consumed by our own people.
Sees Special Benefits.
This so-called equalization fee is
not a tax for purposes Of revenue in
the accepted sense. 1t is g. tax for the
| special benefit Of particular groups.
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