The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-06-07
FARM GUILD PLAN
HOOVER SCHEME

By LELAND OLDS, Federated Press
Read "coal" or "oil" or any other
industrial commodity for the phrase
agricultural commodities" wherever
it occurs in Hoover's farm relief mes
sage, or in the Haugen agricultural
relief bill, and you'll realize how
drastic is the proposed departure from
capitalist individualism. In spite of
his profession of faith in the old in
dvidual farming, Hoover's program, so
far as it has been uncovered, means
the development of loosely organic
ed agricultural guild socialism with
the government supplying $500,000,-
600 in working capital.
Cooperative Farming
Viewed in a slightly different light
the program calls for the creation of
a gigantic trade association composed
of agricultural corporations, with suf-
ficient power to control production
and distribution of farm commodities
in the interest of higher prices, Such
a trade association, however would
differ from the regular capitalist COM
binations in that the corporations
t. would be completely owned by the
producers themselves-in other words,
would be co-Operatives.
Organizing from Top Down
Organization of agriculture from
the top down through encouragement
of farmer cooperation is the object
of the plan and a federal board is the
government agency proposed for The
purpose. According to Hoover, this
will at once transfer the agricultural
question from the field of politics in
to the relam of economics. He says:
''The pledged purpose of such a
federal farm board is the re0rgani-
cation Of the marketing system on
sOunl1er, more stable and more
economic lines. To do this the
board will require funds TO assist
in creating and sustaining farmer
owned and farmer controlled agen-
cies.
F'The most progressive movement
in all agriculture has teen the up
building of the farmers own mar
ketl1g organizations, which NOW
embrace nearly 100000 farmers
and annually distribute nearly ST.
5OO,OOO,0O0 worth of farm products.
These organizations have acquired
experience in virtually every branch
of their industry, and furnish sub
stantial basis upon which to build
further organization"
The powers of the board, as con
ceived by Hoover, extend even t
guidance as to need in production, t
devising methods for elimination @
Improbable land now under cultiva
dustrial by-products.
The Haugen Bill
The Haugen bill, introduced in tn
house of representatives April Is, d.
clares it to be the policy of congress
''hO promote the effective merchan-
dising of agricultural commodities
in Interstate and foreign commence
so that the industry of agriculture
will be placed ON & basis of equall
ty with other industries; and t.
that end to protect. control an
stabilize the current of interstat
and foreign commerce in the mar
keting of agricultural cOmmOditle
and their food products by minimiz
ing speculation, preventing ineffi
cient and wasteful methods of 1is
tributing, and by limiting. undu
and excessive price fluctuations
by encouraging the organization o
producers into cooperative assOcia
lions and promoting the establis
ment and financing of farm mai
keting system of prOducer-Owne
and producer controlled oO-Opera
tive associations and other ageT
cies; and by aiding in preventin
and controlling SURPRISES in an
agricultural commodity so as
prevent such SURPRISES from undul
depressing prices for the cOmm
dity."
A federal farm board, with pow
wide enough to carry through t
policy and with a revolving fund
S500,000,000, can exert an enorm'
socializing influence on the agric
tural industry. If it accomplishes
detectives, private ownership of in
vidual farms may persist but the f
mer's return will come to him not
an owner but as producer in HI
cooperative guild.
If by this means he can be assn
the full reward due him for his w
the matter of his return as a capt
ist will not be an important issue.