Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-01
P|NCHOT ASKS FAIR
DEAL FOR farmers
Let Them Decide Relief, He
Says in Labelling Farm
Board "Lemon."
y the Associated Press.


SEDALIA, Mo-, September AS
sailing the Federal Farm Board as that
huge and costly lemon" Gov. Clifford
Pinchot OF Pennsylvania said in an adj
dress here today that the welfare OF
America depends upon justice to the
American farmer-justice as the farmer
himself understands justice-and not
some alleged panaCea devised by men
who neither know his problems nor
comprehend his point of view
Addressing the annual convention of
the Missouri Farmers Association, Gov.
Pinchot urged the farm industry be
placed on a basis of economic equality
with other industries" He said the
farmer, for years the orphan of Amer
lean politics. should be taken into the
family and have voice as to what
type of relief should be attempted"
The present tariff, he charged, is detri-
mental to the farmer; he said he be-
lieves in the equalization fee and thinks
the debenture plan 'unquestionably has
its merits"
Freight Raise Plea Criticized.
The Pennsylvania Governor. discussed
as a possible candidate for the Repub-
lican presidential nomination next year,
criticized the railroads for seeking to
increase freightS rates at a time when
the farmer already is overburdened. "
The cost of distribution of farm prod
ucts. he said, is twice as high now as
1t was before the World War.
There are too many middle profits
between producer and consumer" he
said. The middle man regularly pays
the farmer too little and charges the
consumer too much. And he does it
on the wartime basis. when wheat was
selling five times and more per bushel
than it has been sold this year.
Better methods of distribution could
give the farmer larger share of the
consumers dollar without costing the
consumer single additional cent What
We need, and need tremendously in that
connection, is to take up the slack. Part
of the cost of distribution is for freight.
And this is the time chosen by the
railroads for piling heavier freight rates
than ever on the farmers shoulders In
my opinion, this is a time for reducing
and not increasing the freight burden
Of the overburdened farmer.
Years ago when the farmer asked
Tor economic justice he was given more
credit. He needs credit now to help him
carry this years crop But, in general.
what the farmer needs today is not
more credit to go more into debt. but
better prices The better to get out of
debt"
Farmer-LabOr Unity Urged.
Gov. Pinchot urged the farmer and
city laborer to stand together. but
added he was not talking about DO
litical control, and I do not refer to a
third, party. On the contrary, I am
talking economic control for the great
est good Of the greatest number, which
is the object of all government"
The problem of farm relief he said
has been dealt with in Congress not
as the farmer wanted it handled, but
as the city men decided it must be
handled. The farmers asked
for the equalization fee. They asked
for the debenture plan. Instead, they
were given the huge and costly lemon
the Farm Board-for which they did
not ask
Speaking of the proposal to reduce
acreage and prevent crop surpluseS, he
said:
Il am not saying that it should not
be done. But I point out that it IS
easier said than done, and that 1t has
its disadvantages.
Commenting on the tariff, Gov.
Pinchot said he was "a protectionist,
but the kind of tariff I believe in is one
whose coed effects appear not only in
the profits of capital and in the wages
of labor, but also in the returns of the
farmer. The Government has
forgotten that our country cannot pros
per unless the farmer not only produces
we'll, but sells his crops well, and lives
we'll with his family on the farm. 1t Is
high time to keep that central fact in
mind -"