The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-08-16
Kokomo Dispatch


Herbert Hoover has accepted
the Republican nomination as
everyone knew he would. There
isn't much interest in that fact,
but what Herbert Hoover would
say on the occasion Saturday eve
ming, has been the subject of
much speculation, though there
was no reason to suppose that
there would be anything especially
startling in that address. What
he did say is now revealed.
The country has been led to be-
lieve that important pronounce
ments on two issues-farm relief
and prohibition-might come from
Mr.. Hoover at this time. The adj
dress reveals no important pro-
nouncements. Mr.. Hoover's ideas
as revealed in his acceptance adj
dress, are found to be the same
as those which Mr.. Hoover was
believed to entertain.
On the prohibition issue, Mr..
Hoover repeats what he previously
had said. He believes prohibition
is a noble experiment" and
should be worked out construc-
lively.
He does not favor repeal of the
Eighteenth amendment, and be-
lieves that modification of the en-
forcement laws ito permit that
which the Constitution forbids" is
notification.
On the farm relief issue, Mr..
Hoover discioses that he is not
willing to go any further than
was Mr.. Coolidge. He speaks of
high transportation charges as
one cause of the farmers plight,
and speaks of water transporta-
ton development as one means of
helping the farmer.
He looks upon the tariff as an
other aid to the farmer. He be-
lieves that a Federal farm board
to aid farmers cooperatives and
to help, in a measure, prevent sea-
sonal SURPRISES, will go long way
toward solving the problem.
While even Mr.. Hoover's polit-
ical enemies credit him with great
ability in solving economic and
financial problems such as the
farm problem, it is evident that
his political connections and his
position as heir to the Coolidge
administration, handicap him in
discussing the agricultural situa-
ton. If he sees the real difficulty
in the farm problem today, he
does not disclose the fact.
High transportation charges,
high taxes and seasonal gluts and
SURPRISES undoubtedly have their
bearing upon the farmer. They
are incidental rather than crucial
to the problem, however.
The big fact in the farm prob
lem is that American farmers are
supplying more than can be con-
sumed in this country, and must
dispose of the surplus abroad.
Consequently, the price at home
is determined by the price abroad,
because the man who buys the
farmers wheat buys it at a low
enough figure to dispose of it
proftably even if he must sell it
abroad.
Mr.. Hoover's idea that the farm
problem can be solved by encour-
aging cooperatives is discounted
by the farmer who has had ex-
perience in some pools, where the
man outside the pool reaped the
advantage created by the pool
without the expense attached to
the pool, with the result that
members of cooperative one year
were reluctant to join a second
time.
The cooperatives are useful, but
do not cure all, as Mr.. Hoover
would seem to suggest. In some
branches of agriculture where air
tight cooperatives were easily or
ganized, the principle has worked,
but agriculture as a whole seems
too big. to be thus organized.
The strategy in both camps
now is evident. The Republicans
are relying upon the dry issue to
hold the farmers of the Middle
West in line. Thus eastern Repub-
lican States and New England
States hope to defeat the agrarian
movement for economic equality.
They believe that the dry issue