Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-12-06
Agriculture Is Neglected By Hoover

Agriculture Is Neglected BY Hoover
The recent adjournment of the special
session Of Congress without final action on
the tariff revision bill amounts to a con-
fession of impotence on the part Of the
present administration" says a statement
Of the Democratic National Congressional
Committee just issued by its chairman. Rep
resentative Jos. W. Byrns. of Tennessee.
Meanwhile, continued Mr.. Byrns, 'busi-
ness must continue in state Of uncertainty,
not knowing what the tariff policy is to be
for the next few years. Blame for the
tarih hasco must rest with the Hoover
administration. and efforts to place il at
the doorstep Of Democrats and Progressive
Republican Senators need not be taken
seriously. The Republican administration
has nominal majority Of more than 100
votes In the House and II in the Senate.
II the administration does not possess the
leadership to MAKE this nominal majority
q cohesive. working majority. the blame
cannot by any stretch Of the imagination
be placed on Democrats. The Hoover adj
ministration came into power with huge
vote Of confidence and apparently over
whelmins majoritics 10 the two Houses Of
Congress. II thus accepted the RESPONSE
Sility Of government. and II 1t cannot
maintain solidarity and function by en-.
acting necessary legislation. it must take
the blame therefor and expect to be held
accountable by the people at the next
election.
Administration apologists are blaming
Democrats and Progressive Republicans
for the tariff debacle. Instead of being
censured, they ought to be praised for their
refusal to permit the tariff monstrosity
which the House passed. known as the
Hawley bill. to be saddled upon the backs
Of the consuming public. Instead Of the
administration attempting to keep It's cam
paisn pledge to revise the tariff 90 as to re-
duce the disparity between agriculture and
industry. the bill which IL sponsored and
did force through the House actually wi
dencd that disparity. That accounts for
the revolt Of Western Progressive Senators
against the tariff program the administra-
would have written into law. Further
more. that revolt helped keep from adding
between $500. 600. 900 and $500. 100000
TO the annual living costs Of the American
people. 40 economists estimate the House
bill would have done.
President Hoover called the Congress-
into special session to pass farm bill and
make limited revision of the tariff. After
seven months. It adjourns with the record
Of having passed a farm bill the farm
organizations did not approve and which
they might have had under the Coolidae
administration two or three years ADO, and
with tariff revision 10 an apparently hope
less muddle. These are the net results Of
the special session."
When Democrats and Progressive Repub-
licans In the Senate voted to restore the
1922 act duty Of rs cents per ton on pig
iron. they voted to cut by approximately
$20.O00.000 the Nations annual bill to
the Steel Trust for steel products. The
$4,000. 900 farming population would ben
eft by approximately one-third of this
reduction. as it is estimated the farmers
buy one-thisd Of the output Of steel prod
ucts. In 1927. President Coolidge. under
the flexible tarin act. raised the duty on
pig iron from rs cents to $l.l2 1-2 per ton.
Al the time. economists estimated this
would add upwards of 1900 900 annu-
ally to the Steel Corporations income. The
Hawley bill. as it passed the House, would
have made $l.l2 LIZ per ton the basic duty
on pig iron. The Senate coalition rejected
this increase, the recent huge profits Of
the steel companies making It apparent
that they actually need little or no tariff
protection.
Farmers generally and wheat growers in
particular win not fail to contrast the
Hoover administration effort to restore
confidence in the Wall Street stock market
with its indifference to the wheat market
situation when the sharp break In the price
Of that grain came last spring When the
recent stock crash came. Secretary Mellon,
with the Presidents approval. promptly
came forward with proposal to reduce
the corporation and individual income tax
rates. Also the President called series
Of conferences Of business and commodity
leaders as another step in the direction Of
restoration Of confidence. But last May,
when wheat dropped well under dollar
bushel for the first time 10 fifteen years,
the administration took no measures to
avert or minimize that crash. Then, after
the farmers had sold much Of their wheat
and the grain was In the elevators and in
the hands Of the spectators. the market
started upward. the result being that many
farmers sold their crop at prices below
production costs. while the wheat gamblers
made large profits. In the same way. small
spectators 10 the stock market were forced
70 eel their holdings at prices sometimeS
less than half they paid for them, while
She rich stock gamblers stepped in and
bought the securities at figures which will
enable them to reap a golden harvest
Over The Pole.
Editorial in Washington Star Of Sunday.