Evening star., 1932-09-20
Conference of Governors
COnsOlidates Farm Position

A statement issued by the conference
is interpreted by the Minneapolis
Journal as seeming TO aim "at combin-
ing the farmers co-operatives in 'one
big union," and that paper offers the
judgment en- this idea: 1T sounds like
the vague proposal of Gov. Olson be-
fore he left for Sioux City. But the
leaders of the great and successful CO.
operatives of Minnesota, built up
through years Of effcrt and sound busi-
ness management, agree that such 0
plan means the wrecking OF their Or
ganizations, tremendous losses. 1t is
not strange that Gov Olson has failed
to get the support Of the real mot the
politicaD leaders CT the farmers CT
Minnesota. Nor is it strange that, when
the Governors and pro-governors came
to formulate their cure they took
refuge In confused phraseology. II was
hardly to be expected that group of
Governors, some of them candidates for
reelection in November. would rebuEe
farmers strikes. To some of them the
opportunity to prove themselves tried
and true friends Ct the farmer seemed
too good to be missed. The statement
issued is scarcely epochal in character
THE main contribution Of the con-
ference is the emphasis which it places
upon cooperative marketing" declares
the Lincoln State journal, pointing out
that the Governors believe that the
farmers should themselves take charge
of this. and do it in such a way that
direct government loans can be secured
to finance the withholding Of products
from the market" Holding that there
was little new in either the discussion
or the recommendation" the State
Journal states that, Is to revision of
the tariff, 'fn the last tariff the farm
ers got practically what they wanted in
the way of tariffs upon farm imports"
and that, in reference to expansion of
the currency, meanwhile the Presi-
dent, through expanding credit. is seek
ing to accomplish the same object. with
overproduction exists
Promises given to the conference that
farm rioting will be stopped inspire the
comment from the Buffalo Evening
News that rioters apparently were
more interested in wild politics than in
farming" The Akron Bes con Journal.
however, quoting an Iowa leader to the
effect that 'the farmers are on the
picket lines because they want to call
the attention of the world to the con-
dition which is about to dispossess
them Of their farms" concludes that
the farm strike has made the Govern
ors sit up and take notice" The Bal
time Sun holds that "the backbone OF
the program of farm relief evolved b.
the conference is set of proposals
whose back has already been broken
by economic forces"
Advising that IAN improvement in
farm prices can come only with an up
ward move in business" the Wall
Street Journal declares: The implica-
ton Is that increased tariffs on some
farm products are necessary. Since
the short session of Congress In De-
cember, 1920, tariffs have been one of
the remedies of agriculture. and each
one has left 1t in worse condition
than before. Slowly but steadily the
unrelenting logic of events has been
forcing home the truth that even the
United States can no longer be consid-
cred as self-sufficient. To maintain
the present ideas Of reasonable pros
perity it must produce more than 1t
can consume. But trade is not one
sided, and to sell 1t must also buy.
Ever widening markets are not secured
and maintained by increasing the tar
In walls. This Is something that the
United States and other nations also
must learn and admit as one of the
necessary steps toward recovery In all
kinds OF business"