Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-26
FARM AID IS URGED
BY 'PR|CE-RA|S|NG'
Educator Tells Senate Group
Congress and President
Ought to Act.

DR.. John D. Black, professor Of agri-
cultural economies, appearing before
the Senate committee on agriculture
studying farm legislation today, ex-
pressed the opinion that Congress and
the President ought to undertake I'm a
rather vigorous way some conservative
price-raising measures"
Or, Black sought to difTerentiate be-
tween ''price-fiXing" and "price-raising, :
He discussed at length before the COM
mite methods for the sterilization OF
agricultural income and gave it as his
opinion that something should be done
IN justice to the farmer to equallze the
purchasing power Of his dollar with tnat
Of the manufacturer.
The committee also heard Sidney
Anderson. former member of the House
from Minnesota and at present presi-
dent of the Millers' National Fedora
ton, and G. Layman Van Malta OF
New York, who has been live stock
man in the Southwest. Mr. Van Malta
declared that national system for
dealing with the farm problem, through
co-operatives. was impossible and rec
commended that the country be divided
into Il districts. these districts to have
some similarity il the production OF
crops.
Anderson Gives Views.
Mr.. Anderson, giving his personal
views of the farm problem, and not
those of the organization of which he
is president, said that he knew of no
single plan which would solve the prob
lem of agriculture.
DR.. Black in much detail showed the
committee how it was possible to sta
Billie crop prices over a considerable
period of years. He said, however. that
such sterilization, brought about in part
by buying up percentage OF the crops
and holding them over until the next
year, would cost some little money. He
said that in the long run he believed
that such Sterilization would help the
farmer, but that it could not solve en-
tirely his problem.
Senator Brookhart of Iowa, who sat
with the committee. asked DR.. Black if
it were not true that should the stabili-
zation price fall below the cost of pro-
duction the farmers would so broke.
DR.. Blacks answer was yes"
Would Repay Farmers.
Or. Black argued that the stabiliza-
ton of prices. if accompanied by some
control of the production. would repay
the farmers for all the sterilization plan
would cost and that In the end it would
aid in the reduction of the cost OF pro-
duction. The Harvard professor said
that he had studied all the price rails
ing or price fixing plans which had
been laid before the congressional COM
mittees in the past and also some other
plans for price raising. One ne called
the allotment plan with transfer for
~ Ins, f11of
plan a farmer would be given permit
for the amount of cotton or wheat
which he could sell on the domestic
market and receive the domestic price
plus the tariff.
Under this plan the farmer would De
at liberty to sell any amount OF his prod
uce he desired for exports. DR.. Black
said, however, that farmer was not
ant to seek to produce large quantity
of foodstuffs which he had to sell at
low price for export. For that reason,
he said, this plan should result in cur
failing the amount of acreage planted.
Dr. Black suggested also that an ex-
port debenture plan would be OF ASSIST
ance in dealing with certain crops. IN
conclusion he said that he thought a
combination of these plans would work
to the benefit of the farmers and that no
single plan probably could be adopted
which would benefit all the farmers.
Senator McNary, chairman of the COM
nittee, asked the witness If he believed
that the situation of the farmers war
ranted legislation fixing the price Of
their product. Dsr. Black replied that
the situation did warrant the adoption
of some plan for price raising.
A plan for extension of banking
credit to agriculture was formulated to-
day by a conference of officials of
seven forum cooperative marketing as
sociations, who conferred in an all-day