The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-12-23
RAPS ALLOTMENT PLAN
Wilton, N. D.,
Dec. IA, 1882.

In these days, when any public man
speaks on farm relief those who re-
port the event tell the world that,
though 50 and so didn't say it in SO
many words, he was advocating the
Voluntary Domestic Allotment Plan.
We must have some plan OF course.
but do you think this Is perfect
plan?
H. B. 12461, on allotment plan, reads
on page 4 lines 16 TO 10: no such
charge shall be paid on any commod-
ity processed, manufactured, or dis
tributed by or for producers thereof
for consumption by their own fam
lilies, employees, or households"
This would allow a farmer to butch
er his own meats without paying tax,
which is alright, but it would also al
low him to take wheat to mill for
flour it seems. This would allow him
to get his flour without paying the
81 per 100-lb. sack which would be re-
quired to raise the price 40c per
bushel.
Then his father and his mother and
his sister and his brother, his uncle
and his cousin and his aunt would
ask him to get little flour for them.
There are about 30 million farm
people. OF course they don't all raise
any one thing except they are all
raising and should raise Cain till
prices are better, but how. are you 60
ing to get the money to pay the allot-
ments If SO many people don't pay
any tax.
No, if the farmer gets premium
he can afford to pay the tax.
Wouldn't 1t be better If it read that
when an article is processed by the
producer he shall pay no tax but when
it is processed by someone else the tax
shall be paid. It is said the allotment
plan would raise the price of bread
about 1c a loaf, so If the bakers will
Just remember what they told us
when prices were falling i. e. that the
price of the flour was one OF the
smallest items. in computing the
price of bread, it wouldn't be so bad
Another thing which will be true, no
matter which plan is followed Is that
there is no surplus Of hard spring
wheat. It is all used in this country
50 If we get only percentage OF all
the wheat we are giving up a point to
the winter wheat growers.
Farmers must join to receive the
benefits of this plan and agree to re-
duce acreage. Do you think they will
reduce acreage? In President Hoo
ver'S meSsagesato congress he MENTION
ed the individualistic tendencies OF
| the American people. OF these prin-
ciples we should not allow any meas
ure to rob us.
Also he is endeavoring to balance
the budget. but if the budget was bal
anced one day it would be unbalanced
the next with falling prices and halt
ing business.
The allotment plan assures us OF
the tariff, 42c on wheat less expenses
on about IS percent Of the wheat,
making about soc on all. we use
about $50 million bushels year and
for round numbers we can take 800
million for the crop.
Well. the price now is about SOC,
with the allotment 70c for 3D. or 6Oc
for all. (Can you riase wheat for
o0cO. But suppose this common price
goes down to zoe. there Is nothing to
hinder, no stabilized price, then what
II it goes down to 1Oc? Then suppose
the common price because of loss of
foreign trade, paper money, ETC.,
should 60 down to 1c per bushel, 30c
tariff aud 1c common price to Sic,
just what 1t was yesterday.
Am I going too far? Yes, but sup
pose anyone had told us that from
late fall In 1927 when wheat was $l.08
that in five years wheat would actu-
ally be worth only 26c-it would have
sounded ridiculous. Well, / have just
tallowed this plan to be cracked up q
little instead Of leaving It for what It's
cracked up to be. then there are the
plans along the line OF the equaliza-
!. ton fee, which are called unconstitu-
ttonal. This could Be overcome.
We have . plan which would allow
Representatives Of farmers to set
prices Of wheat. cotton and hogs each
year according to other prices and
with the consent Of congress. the farm
board to handle the surplus without
loss, holding Of some Of the surplus
for TIE in case Of floods. fire. drouth