Milford chronicle., 1928-11-16
NATIONAL GRANGE
FAVORS ENFORCEMENT
OF 18TH AMENDMENT
[COntrnusd from frH page1

4AetIAO44 4ANIf1C hhANA lllG lftA Al4Sl
receives, and the unequal exchange
value of the product of his toll witt
the products of industry, must be
more widely realized than it is,
says Mr.. Taber, who significantly
adds:
While farm population has declin-
ed, the increased production per man
has prevented any general decline
in the nations food supply. 1t is ev-
ident that we have reached a point
where farm population must be sta
bilized and net farm income ilereSS-
ed, or every citizen in the nation
will suffer from the consequences.
Positive declarations made by Mr..
Taber on prominent present-day is
sues may be thus concisely sum
married;
Corporation Farming
The Grange strongly opposes the
plan of diverting the nations agrl-
culture into Corporation Farming,
with large investment of capital,
mass production, reduced overhead
and intensive methods expected to
result in cheaper food for the mass
es. Mr.. TabeT warns the country
that even though these results might
to some extent be attained, I'VE may
vet be paying a greater price for
this advancement than rural life or
the nation can afford. Agriculture in
our land is both a business and a
mode of life. Where there is proper
blending of industry, independence
and self-reliance, the family unit
makes for the best things, not only
in agriculture, but in national eXis-
tence. Destroy the independent
farm unit and we have destroyed the
backbone of American agriculture"
Export Debenture Plan
This is the project which the Ma
tional Grange has vigorously advo-
Gated as a substitute for the equali-
cation fee and other ideas embodied
in the -Haugen measure, and
Mr.. Taber urges all agricultural
forces to get behind the Export De-
benture Plan, which he predicts
will "help solve the surplus prob
lem, as a necessary complement to
the tariff structure; and without 1t
or it's equivalent many branches OIL
American agriculture cannot perma-
nently prosper" I
Transportation
Discussing the changes that have
been so rapidly taking place in the
nations transportation, Mr.. Taber
raises this interesting question::
We are probably approaching
time when super-highways for motor
TRANSPORTATION may be necessary.
Just as the principle of a gas tax
takes care of road maintenance, so
some special form of taxation ap-
plied to freight carrying trucks must
be utilized for construction OF
freight highways, should experience
and continued motor congestion de-
mand. The railroad, however, re-
mains the basis of the long freight
of farm products and
some revision and adjustment of the
railroad rate structure is imperative.
Super-POwer
The water power act has demon
strated it's wisdom, but it needs
and improving. 1t is
certain that those who control the
worlds electrical power half CEN
turv hence will practically control
our very existence, and we must ]
make very sure that the power in 4
terests of this nation are not per-
mitted to inaugurate a policy con-
cerned only in dividends, in eXpan-
sion and exploitation, and utterly I
ignoring the rights and comfort OF
the public. The Grange has long ]
favored the leasing of great water s
movers resources only when the
public is amply protected by limiting ]
the life of the lease to 30 years,
amortizing the improvements and ]
reverting the property to the public
at the end of the lease term. The
Grange favors the leasing of water
Dower sites under proper terms, but
opposes the general practice of the t
entrance of the government into
business. Nevertheless, we must rec v
ognize a sharp line of demarcation t
between water supply, water power a
md the other general activities OF a
and government. b
Muscle Shoals
Declaring that the fertilizer value 6
1f Muscle Shoals has been over-es-
-imated, Mr.. Taber demands that
'The government should at once put :,
his great plant in operation and +
he surplus power should be used IN h
manner protecting the interests OF a
he taxpayers" g
Irrigation and Reclamation y
Additional public lands should be a
brought under cultivation only when y
here is a need for their products {
md only when it has been demon l
;trated that the project in question S
will be profitable to its farm oper- a
TORS. It is time to turn from )
,olicv of exploitation and specula- n
ion to one of intelligent irrigation,
md a step in this direction Will be u
he transfer of the Bureau OF Re
.lamation from the Department OF y
he Interior to the Department OF y
Agriculture, where by all rights ana p p
consistency it belongs. n
National Master Taber also Vlgor- - -
uslv discusses tariff adjustments to Il Il
,rovide equality for agriculture; the = =
Possibilities of organized marketing =
through cooperative endeavor, and u
trict farm control of such activities. % %
Je nuts the Grange strongly on rec
rd in support of the Kellogg Trea- f,
les and significantly stresses the p,
,eaceful relations so long existing
etween Canada and the United m
,tates. The Grange attitude on law
'SNSNNs MI