Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-02-17
FARM RELIEF BILL GAINING

The McNary-Haugen bill which, ii
is hoped, will give relief to the far
mer, has now passed the Senate and
it is predicted that it will also pass
the House, but Secretary ANDY
Mellon says the collecting of the
equalization fee is too intricate. The
Secretary stands pretty close to Pres
ident Coolidge and it is believed by
many that Mr.. Coolidge will not sign
the measure. The President has
voiced objections several times.
Some folks have raised objections
against the bill on the grounds that
price control is too intricate process
to be regulated, but the economic law
has not been allowed to operate un-
hampered on the prices of the things
which farmers must buy because Of
the tariff which has boosted the price
on manufactured articles.
Congressman Martin L. Davey, who
has hitherto opposed the bill, but
now gives it his support, puts it this
way:
"This proposed farm relief pro-
gram is sometimes referred to
as class legislation. The same
thing may be said about many
other acts of congress. We have
built up an artificial economic
standard for the benefit of al
most everyone else except the far
mers. We have provided high
tariff for industry. We have pas
sed the eight-hour law and the
immigration restriction measure
for the benefit of labor. We have
passed the Esch-Cummins law
for the protection of the railroads.
We have provided the federal re-
serve system to help the banking
business. Farmers buy in a pro-
tected market and sell in an un-
protected market. Their econom-
ic status is decidedly unfavorable,
and it is bound to reflect itself
in lessened national prosperity.
81 realize the McNary-Haugen
bill has been referred to per-
sistently as economically unsound
and dangerous. Almost every
new piece of legislation has been
claimed by its opponents to be
dangerous and unsound. The same
thing was said in vigorous Ian
guage about the federal reserve
act at the time it was before con-
gress for consideration. And now
re CT Cd
who previously condemned it..
Everything new is subject to the
same attack and condemnation.
1t may be that the McNary-Hau-
gen bill will not accomplish all
that it's advocates claim for it.
But it is the only proposal which
seems to give any real promise.
Assuming that it is an expert
ment, we can at least try it. 1t
ought to work, and if it does, it
will be a blessing to everyone"
In commenting on the bill the Du
luth News-Tribune does not mines
words in the following statement:
1.-THE farmers in this country
are in sore need OF help and IL
the country is to prosper they
must prosper. That is particu-
larly true of the west and north
west. The McNary-Haugen bill
may not be perfect but the far
mers as a whole believe that it
will work and help to bring back
prosperity to the farm. The fact
that it doesn't suit lot of big
bankers and captains of industry
down east makes no difference.
They got theirs and the farmer
is entitled to his. And if the
President could hold his nose and
sign the rivers and harbors bill
loaded down with the rottenest
mess of pork that has disgraced
a congress in years, he ought not
to hesitate on a measure like the
McNary-Haugen bill"