The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-08-13
HOOVER PROMISES FARM RELIEF

HOOVER PROMISES FARM RELIEF
The most urgent economic problem in nation
today is in agriculture 1t must be solved if we are to
bring prosperity and contentment to onethird Of
people directly and to all Of people indirectly We
have pledged ourselves to find solution.
In my mind most agricultural discussions go wrong
because Of two false premises. The first is that agr
culture is industry. It is dozen distinct indus
tries incapable of the same organization The second
false premise is that rehabilitation will be complete
when it has reached point comparable with pre-war.
Agriculture not upon satisfactory basis before
the war. The abandoned farms of the northeast bear
their own testimony. Generally there was but little
profit in midwest agriculture for many years except
that derived from the slow increases in farm land
values. Even Of Importance is the great advance
standards Of living Of all occupations since the war;
Some branches Of agriculture have greatly recovered
but taken as q whole it is not keeping pace with the
onward march in other industries.
There many causes for failure Of agriculture to
win its fun share Of national prosperity. The after
defation of prices not only brought great direc.
losses to the farmer but he often left indebted in
inflated dollars to be paid in Debated dollars. Prices
are often demoralized through gluts in markets
during the harvest Local taxes have been in
creased to provide the improved roads and schools
The tariff products is proving inadequate to
protect him from imports from abroad The increases
in transportation rates since the has greatly af
fected the price which he receives for his products
Over six million farmers in times Of surplus engage
in destructive competition with one another in the
sale Of their product, often depressing prices below
those levels that could be maintained
The whole tendency of our civilization during the
last so years has been toward increase in the size
Of the units Of production in order to lower
costs and more orderly adjustment Of the flow Of
commodities to the demand. Pat the organization of
agriculture into larger units must not be by enlarged
FARMS The farmer has shown he increase the
skill Of his industry without large operations He is
today producing 20 per cent than eight years ago
with about the same acreage and personnel. Farming
is and must continue to be ndividualistic business
of small units and independent ownership. The farm
is than business; it is state Of living. We
do not wish it converted into . mass production
machine Therefore, if the farmers position is to be
improved by larger operations it must be done not
the farm but in the field Of distribution. Agriculture
has partially advanced in this direction through
operatives and pools But the traditional cooperative
is often not q complete solution.
Differences Of opinion to both and remedy
have retarded the completion Of q constructive pro-
gram of relief 1t is plain duty to search out the
common ground on which we may mobilize the sound
forces of agricultural reconstruction. Our platform
lays solid basis upon which can build. 1t offers
an affirmative program.
An adequate tariff 10 the foundation Of farm relief
The domestic market must be protected. Foreign
products raised under lower standards of living
today competing in our home markets I would use
my office and influence to give the farmer the full
benefit Of our historic tariff policy.
A large portion Of the spread between what the
farmer receives for his products and what the ultimate
consumer pays is due to increased transportation
charges. Increase in railway rates has been Of the
penalties of the These increases have been added
| IN fhA 70 thA Anw~ 1t
foreign markets and result therefore in reduction of
his prices The farmers Of foreign countries have thus
been indirectly aided in their competition with the
American farmer. Nature has endowed us with
great system Of inland waterways. Their moderniza-
ton will comprise most substantial contribution to
midwest farm relief and to the development Of twenty
Of interior states. This modernization includes
not only the great Mississippi system. with its joining
of the Great Lakes and Of the heart Of midwest aer
culture to the Cult, but also shpway from the Great
Lakes to the Atlantic. These improvements would
mean so large increment in farmers prices as to
warrant their construction many times over. There
is no more vital method Of farm relief.
But we must not stop here.
An outstanding proposal Of the Party program is
the pledge to undertake the reorganza-
ton OF the marketing system upon sounder and more
economical lines. We have already contributed greatly
to this purpose by the acts supporting farm
tives the establishment Of intermediate credit banks
the regulation Of stockyards, public exchanges and
expansion Of the Department Of Agriculture The
| platform proposes to 60 much farther. It pledges
the creation Of Federal Farm Board Of representa-
tive farmers to be clothed with authority and re-
sources with which not only to still further aid farm
srs cooperatves and pools and to assist generally
solution OF farm problems but especially to build up
with federal finance, farmer-owned and farmer-con
troled sterilization corporations which will protect
the farmer from the depressions and generalization
Of seasonal sluts and periodical surplusss
Objection has been made that this program as laid
oown ~ the Party Platform. may require that several
hundred millions Of dollars Of captal b advanced by
the Federal Government without obligation upon the
individual farmer. With that objection have little
patience nation which il spending ninety billions
year can we'll afford m expenditure Of few hum
dted millions for : workable program that will give
to onehird Of it, population their fair share Of the
nations prosperity. Nor does this proposal put the
government into business ssesR - tar y u i called