The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-03-16
Editorial Comment
The Farmers Simplify the Issue

LIE HcW -I1dukcU Ulil has D00H re.
ported to the senate with the Endorsement Of
its committee on agriculture. The bill has the
support of most of the organized farmers Of
the nation. The changes made in the bill since
it was vetoed at the last session of congress in
dictate anything but the doctrinaire attitude to-
ward their problems which farmers have been
accused of maintaining. They have modified
their bill to meet the criticisms of the admin
istration.
The farm leaders have had to face two kinds
OF opposition. Some of their opponents have
thought, though they have not always said it.,
that nothing should be done by the federal gov
eminent to relieve agricultural depression. It
is that viewpoint which has prompted the
farmers to suggest from time to time the re-
peal of the tariffs on manufactured goods.
They have said that if the government can
exert itself on behalf of manufacturers it can
exert itself on behalf of the farmers too, with
out doing violence to constitutional principles
The farmers position We believe unassailable
More than that, it is to their credit that
though they have met one rebuff after another.
they have continued to press for positive relief
rather than negative and vindictive action
against the industrial and financial interests
which have opposed them. The threats against
the tariff on manufactured goods thus IA
have been made largely for rhetorical ef-
feet, but there is a limit to patience. It is
hardly conceivable that the farmers will con
tinue to take punishment indefinitely without
striking back.
Those who conscientiously wish to do some
thing to improve the position of agriculture
in this country have presented two programs
The President and Secretary of Agricultur'
Jardine believe in cooperative marketing. They
think the governments credit can be loaned
to the farmers cooperatives to enable them to
dispose of the crops systematically without
severe price depressions at harvest time and
without violent fluctuations of price between
lean years and fat years.
The organized farmers have maintained that
cooperation alone is not enough. They have
evolved the plan of equalization fees to enable
a federal farm board to remove the surplus
crops from the country, and thus permit the
rest of the crop to be sold in the United States
at tariff-protected price. The farmers say,
with much reason that the tariff at present
does not protect them, because their crops are
bought at the world price instead of the tariff
protected price. The successive McNary-
Haugen bills have been concerned chiefly with
setting up the machinery for removing the
SURPRISES.
The new McNary bill departs from its prede-
cessors in this respect: it withholds the opera
ton OF the equalization fee principle until after
ordinary cooperative marketing, as recon-
mended by the administration, has been tried
without success. Only if cooperation fails i'll
achieving what it's triends say it cannot fail
to accomplish is the other method to be at
tempted.
With this new bill the farmers have placed
themselves in strong position. Advocates Of
cooperation cannot oppose the bill and continue
to state that cooperation is certain remedy
Tor farm depression; indeed, exactly to the ex-
tent that they have confidence in cooperation
they must lend support to the bill. Opponents
OF the earlier McNary bills could do so either
Is friends OF cooperation or as opponents of
farm relief of any sort. Those who oppose this
Dill will write themselves down as opponents Of
all forms of farm relief.
We do not mean to suggest that the bill as
drafted is beyond lettering The farmers will
welcome advice from economists financiers.
and others trained in such matters as they
nave hitherto: They will pay little attention
to their so-called friends who have nothing to
say but no.