The Carbon County news., 1931-07-23

William Green, president of the
American Federation of Labor, and
United States Senator Robert F.
Wagner warned industrial leaders
and governmental authorities of
the country in addresses here at
the convention of the Internation-
al Longshoresmen's Union that
there must be no slashing of wages
in the present depression if eco
nomic disaster is to be avoided.
Mr.. Green said his organization
would stand against any general
tendency toward wage cuts "like
the Greeks at Thermopylae." He
called up President Hoover to sum-
mon a conference of industry, fl
nance and labor "for the purpose
of assuring to those at work d
continuance of their jos and max
ing provision for the unemployed %
President Hoover's challenge to
spectators to put patriotism above
profit and cease short sell
ing in the economic emergency is
expected to be followed by further
steps to check the practice unless
the response should be satisfactory
to the Administration. For the
moment, however, it cannot be
found that the Department of JUS
tice contemplates prosecutions. To
sustain criminal action the govern
ment must be in a position to
make out a strong case of "man-
ipulation" or Conspiracy" it was
explained, for there is nothing in
the grain futures act that gives
the Department of Agriculture au-
thority to proceed against specu-
lators as such.
Fifteen years ago tragedy be-
gan with wheat exalted as the
ling of grains. War sat heavily
on the world and Europe's fields
lay in waste, her ganaries drained.
The cry went up for wheat, and
more wheat and still more. The
farmers of America were urged
to grow wheat wherever wheat
would grow. And still the prices
scared. The war ended. Europe
reclaimed her wheat lands. But
still the vast new acreage in AM
erica bore wheat. Where only re-
Gently there was not enough, now
there was far too much. Prices
dropped. In spite of political pan
aceas, wheat values tottered, sag
ged and fell.
A bitter fight in Congress Co
stop the Government sale of any
of the wheat the Farm Board
bought last year in its ill-fated
attempt to hold up wheat prices,
for moratorium on farm mort
cages, for low interest rates to
farmers and for the adoption of
the debenture plan of farm relief
is predicted as result of the agi-
tation now being carried on in
Western wheat-growing States. A.
C. Townley, former head of the
Nonpartisan League, is reviving
that League and extending it to
other states than its original
strongholds, the Dakotas and Min
nesota. The other States in which
he is active are Kansas, Nebraska,
Oklahoma and Colorado. His pro-
gram is moratorium and other
forms Of farm relief.
4
The Federal Farm Board said
an emphatic mo" to demands of
Vice President Curtis and Senator
Capper, of Kansas, that it change
its policy with respect to sales Of
surplus wheat it bought up to help
save the farmer. Curtis and Cap
per, delegates of the wheat belt
farmers and hailing from State
said to be deep in the throes of
dissatisfaction with the Farm
Boards policy, sought a morator-
jum on surplus wheat sales. De-
nial of their impbrtuhings will
result, if plans are carried out, in
carrying the controversy direct to
President Hoover. Senator Cap
per, at any rate, reiterated his
intention of seeking presidential
aid following his disappointing
visit with Chairman James Stone,
of the Farm Board. What is more
in the opinion of Wash
ington, is the politics of the pres
ent drive against the embattled
Farm Board and the fact that fore
most in the drive is the Vice Pres
ident, who appears to be heading
for a rift with the President.
That Vice-President Charles
Curtis at last has decided to take
his chances on regaining his old
seat in the Senate from Kansas
rather than ride along through
another campaign as the running
mate of President Hoover, is now
accepted as fact by his friends