The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-01-27
Farmer Wants Justice.
Not Advice, Says Martin

protection, call it what you may.
Costs Moro to Raise Wheat Here
Before the War the tariff on wheat
was 1Oc per bushel. During the War
it was not taken into account. Fol
lowing the War the need of raising
the tariff generally became apparent
and included the various farm COM
moditles. The Fordney-McCumber
Act which is flexible tariff, enables
the President OF the United States on
advice of the Tariff Commission to
lower or raise the tariff any amount
to the extent of 500 of the schedule.
Early in the summer of 1925 a COM
mission of which you were a member
was appointed to make thorough in
veStigation as to the cost of produc-
ton of wheat both in the United
States and Canada. The commission
reported after a thOro investigation
that it cost 42c per bushel more TO
produce wheat in the United States
than in Canada, which resulted in the
tariff being raised from SOC, the
schedule tariff, to 42c per bushel, but
the tariff was not effective then and
is not effective now either on wheat
or the other grains, barley, rye and
oats, the prices of which are all high
er in Canada as the prevailing mar
kets will show. Undoubtedly the
commission was sincere in its purpose
to benefit the farmer who demands
the tariff be made effective to that
end.
The tariff is nothing new to this
country, having been known and in
effect these many years, and condi-
lions now will not permit a change.
/ The dollar is practically stabilized at
about 1880 of the 1913 dollar with
little or no fluctuation for the past
SIX years, according to reports of the
government and enormous debts of
every kind have been contracted on
an inflated dollar basis; consequently
cannot be paid back with a deflataI
dollar. The tariff and kindred legis-
latiOn may be likened unto the prairie
fire. We dO not like it but our pro-
lection is in starting another fire to
prevent our being wiped out.
voluntary Cooperation Impractical
There is no way to regulate acre
age or production inasmuch as the
SIX and One-half million farmers scat
tered as they are in competition with
one another, each with his own plant
and Individual problems to meet, be-
sides climatic conditions, pests, etc,
to contend with absolutely precludes
the possibility of effective voluntary
cooperation which you can readily see
must be forced cooperation. 1t was
FAR easier for. the less than fiftv
thousand manufacturers producing ov-
er $3.50 of all the goods made in the
United States and for organized Ia
Dor to get the benefits of the tariff
and kindred legislation, such as the
AdamsOn Act, tn eImmigration Act.
the Federal Reserve Act, and others,
1t is easy for the few who can coon
crate to exploit the farmer THROUGH
price depression.
The labor on the farm which !,
not organized is surely entitled to tn,
same measure of protection as is ac.
corded to organized labor in industr,
which is equipped to restrict its PRO
ductiOn Ca laudable plan if not over
Gone(; The McNary -Haugen Bill in
directly provides this protection. Tru-
~ the American standard of living
should apply to all. In The Satur-
day Evening Post, January 20, 1927
we find William Green, President of
the American Federation of Labor
told President Coolidge at a White
House luncheon that labor must have
shorter working hours in order to
meet the condition of over-production
Christian G. Norman, Chairman of the
Board of Governor of the Builders
Trades Employers of New York Citv
testified at meeting of the State In.
auStrlal Survey Commission, August
1926, that the average bricklayer laiC
IoOO to 100 bricks a day when he re.
celved $3.50 or $500, whereas at pres.
ent when he gets $140O he laws only
100 brick, the cost thus being about
five times greater
Again, in your suggested solution
OF the present farm problem you fai
TO take into account the fact that al
acreage producing farm commodities
OF every kind is relative and must be
taken into account in working out ?
solution as the acreage producing
wheat only is but small part of Tho
total acreage. Your reference to tn,
Canadian wheat pool falls short 81
giving the farmer who diversifies lii
tie If any protection. Diversificatior
without a sterilization policy such a.
the McNary-Haugen Bill provides
simply means for the farmer to wor,
harder, produce more and sell for less
Under your plan there would natural
ly follow an increased production o
, wheat at the expense of and to En-,
detrlment of mixed farming. All
farm acreage is relative and bv IA
Inc greater part of the acreage, yer,
: much so, Is producing hay, pasturage
I corn, oats, barley and feed crops O
: various kinds, that is marketed a
meat animals on the hoof, and whicl
> you certainly must be well awar
! cannot be marketed under a so-calle
: orderly or cooperative marketin,
: plan such as Secretary Hoover an
other advocate, for the reason tina
THESE meat animals must be market
J ed when they are ready; if not Fl
they are sod at a loss and if fit ar
: held at loss. When they leave tn
farmers hands as meat animals an
are prepared for consumption an
} sold as meat in cold storage or cure
e in various forms they can then b
e held indefinitely and have the worI
5 for market. This fact has not bee
/ refuted and apparently purposel
Q avoided by the opponents to the M,
4 Nary-Haugen measure, and thew fiji
/ we'll known that this vast acreap
) production would receive no prote,
J tion under any other plan. Any pla
!. that provides for the borrowing 1
i money and piling up of surplus doe
~ not snail raliof g.. Al -