Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-04-16
FIRST STATE

There was q great expansion of pro-
Eluctl0n from our marginal lands
Eluring the war, and upon these
profitable enterprise under normal
/ conditions can not be maintained.
/ Meanwhile their continued output
lends to aggraVate the situation.
Local taxes have doubled and in
some cases trebled. Work animals
nave been steadily replaced by me-
chanical appliances, thereby de-
creasing the consumption of farm
products. There are many other
contributing causes.
The general result has been that
Dur agricultural industry has not
kept pace in prosperity or standards
Of living with other lines Of indus
try.
There being no disagreement as
ITO the need of farm relief, the
1problem before us becomes one OF
method by which relief may be
azmost successfully brought about.
|1Because Of the multitude Of causes
tsand because agriculture is not one
Industry but a score of industries,
1--we r confronted not with a sings
k7problem alone but a great number
fsOf problems. Therefore there is no
single plan or principle that can
be greatly applied. Some OF the
forces working to the detriment Of
agriculture can be greatly mitigat-
ed by improving our waterway
transportation; some Of them by
| REIMBURSEMENT of the tariff; some by
better understanding and adjust
ment of production needs; and
some by improvement in the me-
th0ds Of marketing.
An effective tariff upon agricul-
turai products, that will compensate
the farmers higher costs and high
er standards Of living, has a dual
purpose. Such a tariff not only
protects the farmer in our domes-
n tic market but it also stimulates
him to diversity his crops and to
grow products that he could not
,~otherwise produce, and thus lessons
his dependence upon exports to for
aeign markets. The great expansion
.of production abroad under the
conditions 1 have mentioned rem
,ders foreign competition in our eX-
I port markets increasingly serious.
lit seems but natural, therefore,
THAT the American farmer, having
! been greatly handicapped in his
foreign market by such COMPETE
ton from the younger expanding
countries, should ask that foreign
should be regulated by taking into
account the differences in our costs
of production.
The government has a special
mandate from the recent election,
not only to further develop our
waterways and revise the agricuI-
tural tariff, but also to extend Sys-
tematic relief in other directions.
! have long held that the multi
piiclty OF causes of agricultural de-
\ preston could only be met by the
cfeation OF a great instrumentality
clothed with sufficient authority
and resources to assist our farm
ers TO meet these problems. each
uoon its own merits. The creation
of such an agency would at once
transfer the agricultural question
ron the field Of politics into the
realm or economics and would re-
suit l constructive action. The
administration is pledged to Gre
ate an instrumentality that will
investigate the causes, find sound
remedies, and have the authority
and resources to apply those rene
dies.
Reorganization
The pledged purpose of such a
federal farm board is the
lzatlon Of the marketing system on
Sounder and more stable and more
economic lines. To do this the
board VIII require funds to assist
IN creating and sustaining farmer
owned and farmer-eontrolled agen-
Giles for a variety Of purposes, Sucl
as the acquisition of ADEQUATE
wareh0using and other facilities tnr
marketing; adequate working cap
1tal to be advanced against com
moditieS lodged for storage: necas-
Sary and prudent advances to cor
4 poratlonS created and owned py
farmers marketing organizations
Tor the purchase and orderly mar
ketlnf. Of SURPRISES occasioned bv
~A4~o4S falAdtlO1iS Vi Wy harvest
congestion; to authorize the crea-
ton and support of clearing houses.
especially for perishable products.
through which, under producers
approval, cooperation can be estab-
lished with distributors and pro-
cessorS to more orderly marketing
OF commodities and for the elinl-
nation Of many wastes i'll distribu-
tion; and to provide for licensing Of
handlers Of some perishable prod
ucts so as to eliminate unfair prac-
tees. Every penny Of waste be-
tween farmer and consumer that
We a eliminate, whether it arises
from methods of distribution OF
speculation, will be a gain to both
farmer and consumer.
In addition to these special pro-