The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-04-30
THE BISMARCK TRIBUNE. WEDNESDAY. APRH. ~. 1890
of Population in
Southwest District Cut

District Cut
to 50 upset the normal course Of bus
mess at this sort Of action endorsed
by the government has done." he
said. The independent grain mer-
chant cannot hope to meet this stu
alton. It Is the ruination Of hts bus
mess. It Is unfair and un-Arnerican
and we demand that the marketing
act be modified"
Meanwhile Harrison F. Jones, Of
Chicago. representing poultry, butter
and egg merchants, had advocated q
chamber vote to condemn the farm
act.
Legge Causes Uproar
Legge's address threw into contro-
versy the hitherto serene sessions Of
the eighteenth annual meeting Of the
chamber. An entirely different view
had been prepared by Daniel A. Mil
lett, Denver banker and stockman,
for presentation to the delegates. In
addition, middle western grain deal
ers attending the meeting had an
nounced an intention Of replying to
the defense Of the farm board by its
chairman.
In his address Legge assailed
bankers and business men who met
the crisis in the stock market last
fall with more than half a billion dol
lars but failed to volunteer any aid
when the commodities market faced q
like crisis, although by doing so they
would have performed as important
If not a more valuable service to the
country than saving the stock mar
ket."
Instead, he continued, "there was
criticism Of the farm board for giving
necessary assistance that could not
be had from any other source"
Supplies Means Necessary
Legge declared congress had def
initely committed the country to the
principle Of cooperative marketing Of
farm products. The agricultural
marketing act. he said. supplies the
means necessary to help the farmer
help himself out of his major co.
nomical difficulties and 1.-The farm
board Is going to give him every as
sistance permitted by the law"
Il am sure that most Of you will
agree that you know more about the
agricultural situation and how to
meet 1t than I do" he said. "A con-
siderable percentage Of your member
ship have made that quite clear and
perhaps the best answer I can make
Is the statement that, II 1t be true
and you really do know so much
about 1t, the situation presents q
very severe indictment of the organ
ization, which havin. full informa-
ton Of the facts has made SO little
effort to remedy the situation.
Certainly none Of you have seen any
evidence Of constructive action on the
part Of the chamber Of commerce or
any Of its affiliated organizations,
with the doubtful exception Of taking
a referendum two years ago, looking
to q remedy for and permanent i'm
provcment In the situation which
our own Investigators had warned re-
quired substantial assistance, II not
from you, then from the government"
Had Some Support
perhaps I should mention the fact
that while your national organization
did adopt a policy of silence when
congress was framing the agricultural
marketing act, spokesman Of some Of
your member organizations appeared
before the house committee on agri-
culture and Endorsed the principles Of
that legislation" he said.
lone might find much justification
in the statement that your attitude
generally has been one Of indiffer-
ence II indeed not Of antagonism;
that you regarded the farm problem
like the poor as something we have
with us always and that you who
are more fortunate discussed it along
much the same lines as the ladies
who are apt to refer to the household
help misunderstanding that had to
be endured II one was to avoid hav-
ing to do the work oneself.
1T Is true that there have been
many public expressions Of sympathy
and feeling for the farmer, but let
be certain that in giving express
to this feeling that our hand
reaches for the dollar in our own
and not the penny in his"
Attacks Farm Board
The federal farm board and the
agricultural marketing act were at
as part Of "a fantastic dream
Of Sterilization" and repeal of the
act was urged by Mr.. Millett in ad-
dressing the chamber.
The program for the day. also in
q speech by Alexander H.
chairman Of the farm board.
The law creating the board, Millett
said, violates in its intent and pur-
pose the sound and proven rules Of
business that penalty Of loss must
rest on the loser" This he termed
IN ever present c~onrolling factor
tending to promote efficiency.
The men In the great marketing
and distributing businesses Of this
country with their enormous invest
ments Of capital, In plant and organ
Ization. properly fear the workings Of
this act," he continued. 1T Is EVIL
dent that in the long run they can
not compete with their government,
which they support and supply with
funds through taxes-which taxes are
used to their undoing."
Sees Dictatorship
Millett ssaid he assumed through
his address the inefficiency Of gov
eminent operation Of business in this
country" He described the functions
81 the farm board a applied to agri-
as practically limitless."
The board becomes. he said, 'the
advisor, the banker, the builder. buy
and marketer for agriculture: and
It may well finally become the dicta-
The Denver banker attacked again
and again the crop reduction stand
taken by the board. He asserted It
was . recognition by the board Of the
IsAA~k~a>A ~~AA>eS~. 81 f-a.xA 1919