The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-08-19
Peoples Forum
Editor Bismarck Tribune:

IASSASSeSAs
No doubt at all exists but that the
price received. for farm commodities
is directly responsible for the finan-
tcial condition Of the country. Times
Of low prices for farm products in
variably are followed by financial de-
preston.
The farmer is the largest blyer of
manufactured articles when he has
the money to buy. Take this buying
power away and factories viii! shut
down, labor will be idle and depres-
sion is on the way. The country is
just as rich, there is just as much
money, but it is out of circulation.
Every civilized nation has a God
that 1t prays to. Nearly every nation
today is so-called Christian. The
Christian religion teaches. Love thy
reighbor as myself" yet every year
under u present advanced and en-
lightened civilization it is forced on
lis to wish our neighbor i'll that we
might prosper!
If Argentine and Canada have big
crops in sight, then goodnight to our
prospects of a big price. and vice
versa. Even in u own country the
North hopes that the crops in the
South will be short, and the South is
always in hopes that prospects for a
crop in the North should be poor.
The merchant that doubles his
business figures that he is doing just
twice as we'll as he did before; but
the farmer is put in the anomalous
position where he must have more
bushels to sell next year If he ever
hopes to pay his bills, and that if he
does raise and sell more next year,
he will get less for it.
1t is obviously impossible to get the
farmer to reduce his acreage, so long
as he never has been able to meet his
obligations with his present acreage.
If every farmer could be induced
to reduce his acreage, it would no
doubt work, but this would call for at
least a 80 per cent farm organization.
which anyone at all familiar with
farm conditions will admit is impos-
sible. outside of government aid.
I have taken notice Of all farm re-
lief legislation and noticed that the
stumbling block in all cases has been
the surplus. I think the surplus
must be disposed of at no matter
what cost, so that there may be room
for another crop.
Why not base our prices on domes-
tic consumption and call the surplus
reserve? Every corporation. every
other business and every bank carries
a certain per cent of its assets as a
reserve and would not consider doing
business without it.
The intentions of the Farm Board
were no doubt sincere. but the pro-
cedure was wrong, as has been proven.
The surplus was not taken off the
market. only the ownership was
changed. The wheat is still in exist
ence and will go on the market sooner
or later-the sooner the better--as it
acts as depressing factor, as it is now
Obviously, there is no use CRITICS.
ing existing conditions unless one can
offer a way to change them for the
better. For this reason I will outline
my plan which I have had in mind
for a good many years. and have so
far found no reason for altering.
The plan, briefly put. is as follows:
1. Government : authorized farm
storage.
2. A appointed COM
mission to buy wheat from the farm
ers direct. This method to be de-
veloped until in time the commission
would handle all essential commodi-
tics.) The selling to be direct to the
mill and manufacturer, this commits
sion to have exclusive buying and
selling rights. outside of grain used
for seed and other than food pur-
poses.
3. This commission to set a fair
price on wheat, said price to be deter
mined by cost of production; cost Of
labor to compare with factory wages,
and taking into consideration the
farmers investment in land and
equipment, taxes and depreciation, so
that he would be assured a living on
a plane with people engaged in other
lines of endeavor.
4. \The commission to have author
ity to grant loans on wheat to the
extent Of approximately IS per cent
of the set price. whether stored in
On elevator or on the farm. Such
loans to be made only on that much
of the current crop as was used the
previous year for domestic consump-
ton: the balance Of the set price to
be paid on delivery when called for.
S. Any part of the current crop
not used for domestic consumption, or
sold outside the United States at the
fixed price plus delivery cost, to be
Ecalled reserve and to be carried over
at the producers expense-preferably
right on the farm. Such part of the
crop would never get on the market
during that crop year. but would be
listed with the following years crop.
6. That any price fixed upon
would hold without change for one
full year, but If at the end of the year
this price seemed unfair. either too
high or too low. it could be changed.
but the variation to be not more than
SO of the price in the previous sea-
son.
Z. A law to become effective au-
thorizing a flexible tariff. which
would always insure the operation of
the fixed price, whatever 1t might be.
This would eliminate gambling in
foodstuffs, do away with the surplus.
leave a reserve in case of widespread
crop failure and would prove a boon
to the farmer, the laborer ard the
business man. It would not increase
the cost of living, as the loaf Of bread
was no higher when we hac $l.75
wheat, and was no cheaper when
wheat was as low as 81 cents.
At present prices of wheat, approx
mately cent represents the value
of wheat in a one-pound loaf of bread.
1t would be ridiculous to assume that
the price of bread would be affected
even II the present price OF wheat
should be trebled.
I would very much like to see this