The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-05

Il
Il optimism" injected into the cap
italist press reviews of 1925" were
unable to put healthy aspect on
the bitter condition of agriculture.
Even the most adept of the pros
perity painters had to put in huge
black spots indicating the dark out
look for the farmers.
When the purchasing power of
farm products has fallen from SO
per cent of the pre-war par, that
prevailed last year, to 81 per cent
this year, then there is something
to worry about.
The attitude of big business to-
ward agriculture, in these days Of
the splitting of huge stock divi-
dends, can we'll be stated in the
words of United States Senator
George w. Norris (republican-Neb-
raska) in an article in the maya
zine, Current History, as follows:
"Mr. Richard B. Mellon, brother
of our secretary of the treasury and
president of the Mellon National
Bank of Pittsburgh, on the eve Of
his recent departure for Europe,
was quoted as saying that funda-
mental conditions were sound. To
prove this he cited the steel busi-
ness, which showed that great inn
provement was taking place and
that the rolling mills were operat-
ing at a greater capacity than ever
and turning out large orders. In
cidentally, he said, Grain prices
have fallen off, which is as it should
be- When the great leaders OF
banking and industry can see no
further than the artificial prosper
ity that comes to big business while
those who toll ON the farms are get
ting no return for their labor, then
indeed we have right to question
the wisdom of our financial lead
ers."
Senator Norris, of course, asks
his questions and then remains in
the same party with the MELONS,
(his financial leaders) with the Mel
Ions in control. So he gets the
Mellon answer.
The Mellon answer was recently
given in part by Coolidge. 1t was
that where there is a surplus crop,
as in the cotton belt, the planting
area should be cut down. Other
crops should be raised. But the re-
publican senator from Nebraska,
who remains in Wall Streets party,
is compelled to declare that, THE
farmers of America produce a sur
plus of nearly all the principle farm
products"
1t will do the cotton farmers of
Texas, for instance, no good to quit
raising cotton and return to cattle
raising. That will bring the inevi,
table meat surplus. Today the cry
goes over the land to, Wear more
cotton!" Tomorrow it will be, II the
cotton farmers change to cattle rails
ing, Eat more meat" Today the
demand also is, on behalf OF the
corn belt, "Eat more corn!" But
if the corn farmers change to wheat
then with the inevitable wheat
surplus comes the cry, Eat more
wheat" Such is the vicious circle.
The south has, for the first time
in it's history, produced 100000
bales of cotton. With the carry.
over from last season taken into ac-
count, it is estimated that the
worlds supply of American cotton
now aggregates 25,OOO,00O bales. In
spite of the low prices, however,
there are no indications of an in
creasing demand.
With the cotton profiteers taking
this huge crop from the growers at
bankruptcy prices, the problem be-
comes one Of increasing the selling
price. This increase now, however,
benefits only the profiteers in this
crop. 1t is to their interests, there
fore, that the crop next year be
small. Thus the pressure is exerted
on the cotton farmer, according to
a dispatch from New Orleans to the