Evening star., 1932-09-14

farm leaders knew, that the co-opera-
tiyes obviously could not undertake the
burden of controlling the great surplus
cut adrift by traif barriers. He could
and should have seen that they handled
only a relatively small volume, and that
It would be impossible for the members
to shoulder the load and the cost. The
idea, Of "stabilizing" through specula-
tive operations was conceived and was
written into the platform OF 1928 and
was vigorously supported by the candi-
date for the presidency. You now xnow
to YOUR cost what gtabiliIng meant IN
practice.
Meanwhile, the familiar old song OF
the benefits to be derived from the
tariff was heard. In 1928 In his ac-
ceptance speech, Mr. Hoover said: An
adequate tariff is the foundation OF
farm relief" He and his supporters
insisted in 1928 that we were import.
ing So, 300, ,000, 900 of farm products and
that an adequate tariff laid on these
would be sufficient for the relief OF agri-
culture. It was ghastlJ fraud. The
principal items of agricultural imports"
were rubber. silk, coffee, tea. and the
like-a long list of exotic and tropical
goods. including such American farm
products as elephants tucks, skins OF
the Russian ermine and walaby, and
ellks' hides The fact was that imports
which competed with products grown in
America amounted only to $3.50, ,00O, 900;
and sugar represented over half of this
eo S Il not produce m p the items proposed to
be protected by tariff-they consume
them. The remedy" handed the farm
er was not to raise his selling price,
but to raise his cost of living.
I take 1t that the process of educa-
ton through hard knocks has gone far
enough to make 1t unnecessary for me to
comment further The claim that the
Republican discriminatory tariff meth
DDS are a benefit to the farmer Is a
cynical and pitiless fraud.
Hits Farm Board Buying.
Shortly after his Inauguration in
1929, the President assembled a special
session of Congress. He went through
the form of fulfilling his campaign
promises by the passing Of his agricul-
tural marketing act and the Hawley-
Smoot tariff. The decline of prices in
creased, a slump was apparent. The
co-operatives could not meet the stu
undigested surplus overhanging the
neck of the co-operatives. The effort
resulted in squandering hundreds OF
millions OF the taxpayers money. Farm
Board speculative operations must and
shall come to an end.
When the futility of maintaining
prices Of wheat and cotton, through So
called stabilization, became apparent, the
Presidents Farm Board, Of which his
Secretary of Agriculture was member,
invented the cruel joke of advising
farmers to allow 20 per cent OF their
wheat lands to lie idle, to pillow up every
third row of cotton and to shoot every
tenth dairy COW. Surely they knew
that his advice would not-indeed,
could not-be taken. 1t was probably
offered as the foundation Of an alibi.
farmers: You did not do as we told
you to do. Blame yourselves"
Now, after the harm has been done,
the Presidents acceptance speech Of
1882 fully recognizes the futility Of the
stabilizing experiment and merely
apologies for the results. In order TO
avoid responsibility he claims that the
Farm Board departed from its orig
inal purpose of making loans to farm
ers, co-operatives and TO preserve prices
from panic" 1t was his Farm Board
Why did he permit such departure?
Scores Acceptance Speech.
The Presidents acceptance speech
with It's artful excuses and its empty
promise will bear careful reading by
the farmers Of this country in the light
Of the promises of 1928 wish that
the Republican campaign organization
would provide every farmer with a
copy Of the Presidents acceptance
speech. I can imagine farmer sitting
on his doorstep meditating on the
questions that have caused him so
much concern, while he reads that
speech.
The farmer asks the question: How
may we expect that our exports will be
restored and some way provided by
which our customers may pay for our
surplus produce with goods which we
farmers can use?" He reads the answer
N the acceptance speech: II am
sQuarely for a protective tariff"
Does this" asks the farmer, mean
the Grundy tariff bill that you signed?"
The acceptance speech is silent on that
point
Again the farmer asks, Maybe the
tariff can be made effective on farm
produce consumed at home? Time
after time the organized farmers Of the
United States and the friends Of agri-
culture have sought to do just that"
The answer of the President in his
acceptance speech Is an attempt to
close the door of hope on this subject:
mo power on earth can restore prices
except by restoration of general recov-
cry and markets. Every measure we
have taken looking to general recovery
Is of benefit to the farmer"
And that. If you please, is the record.
That is what We have to expect from
the present Republican leadership. More
Republican tariffs. Implacable opposi-
ton to any plan to raise the price Of
farm products. A program of Starving
A splendid prospect, this! Reduced to
lowest terms. the present administration