The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1931-08-14

anu Lne dgrlCulLulo SOACSO WOuA'
probably be the proper agencies
for making this apportionment
The apportionment to the individ
uaI lands could probably be made
through the board of county com
missioners and the county agent
with assistance from the agricul
tural college. This would involve
the bigger portion of the work in
carrying out the plan. Except fo1
adjustments, the apportionment
once made. would probably stand
for several wears.
Where Shall We Get the Money
The amount of money required
is accurately measured by the
tariff rate made effective and
quantity of -four and other wheat
products consumed at home. Let
Congress lay an excise tax, equal
to that part of the tariff that is to
be made effective, on all wheat
ground into -four OF feed or other
wise processed for use as food;
such excise tax to be paid in
monthly installments by all mill
ers and other manufacturers of
wheat products. The tax on flour
and other wheat products export
ed would have to be refunded. r.
respective of the amount of the
surplus, entirely Independent
thereof, this tax would be effec-
tive. It should be paid into the
Treasury Of the United States
and apportionad to the various
states. counties and individual
arms according to the plan above
described.
Ample Legal Authority
There does not seem to he any
lack Of ample legal authority to
raise the money in this way. Con
eress has power to 'lav and col
lect taxes, duties, inrposts, and ex-
cises. to nav the debts and pro
vida for the common defense and
GENERAL welfare of the United
States It also has the well es-
tablished power to regulate com
-nerce with foreign nations and
among the several states. "To
promote the general welfare was
one of the specific purposes for
the Constitution of the
United States was ordained and
established. This purpose covers
I wide field and here is an appro-
place for carrying it into
effect.
Application to Other Crops
1t has been pointed out that the
plan would work equally well for
cotton; and there may be other
;rops to which it could be applied.
t is obvious that the increased
'eturns from the wheat crop
would have a tonic effect on the
of all other grains.
Continued Development of
Marketing Organizations Required
The Allotment Plan would not
10 away with the necessity for
he continued development of our
marketing organizations. The or
IerIy, economical and efficient
marketing is of constant import
for all commodities produc-
ID on a large scale. One of the
main objects of our marketing or
,anizations should be to bring
he farm products into the hands
# the actual consumers with the
east possible cost added to the
paid to the producer.
Would it Raise the Price of
Bread?
Many people would draw the
onclusion that an increase of 35c
II 40c per bushel in the price of
wheat would mean a material adj
'ance in the price of bread. The
ost of the wheat is only a very
mall part of the cost of a loaf
f bread. On the average it takes
shade less than one pound of
yheat for the flour in a n pound
0af of bread; n bushel of wheat
ill produce about sixty-two
,ounds of bread and in addition ,
hereto leave about twenty pounds
f mill feed. The resulting in
rease in the cost of bread would
carcely be noticeable. !
Objections to the Plan :
1t will probably be objected that
MS is an artificial stimulation of
rices; that it is something prac-
-cally new and untried in u
economic system and therefore
eset with many dangers. 1t will
e admitted that it is an artificial
costing of prices; so is every
reflective tariff where that tariff
effective. That is the !
of a protective tariff; and !
lis plan simply proposes to make .
part of the present American
lriff on wheat effective on that .
art of the crop that is consumed
t home. 1t will have exactly the !,
anne effect that the protective },
irif would have had if we did
OF have a surplus of wheat. If .
tariff had become effective 9
a decrease in production, l
no believer in the tariff :,
-ould have objected to the arti- :