The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-05-19
1l[ojI'jj'ia9'3q2S5 jqe(&k,
National Topics Interpreted - fTTTM1TYR
by William Bruckart lpw1I1H


ers who agree to reduce acreage-and
that agreement must be made-is a
thing which must be worked out by
the secretary of agriculture. Never
before, as far as my research has dis
closed, has an official of government
in this country had such wide pow
ers. But the President justifies them
on the ground of the necessity for
preservation of agriculture.
The professors tax is to be added
to the price the farmer receives Tor
that portion of his crop consumed In
the United States. Normally our ex-
ports as a whole are only about 10 per
cent of the total. The bill, however,
is not applicable to all commodi-
ties. It takes In cotton, wheat,
rice, tobacco. sugar beets, sugar cane,
milk and it's products and hogs, but
the secretary Of agriculture has power
to make it imperative as to any one or
all of them If market conditions are
such as make the use of the law mad
visable.
The professors tax is being levied
under the guise of what is called
parity of prices" It Is the purpose
to lift the returns which the farmer
receives to basis where compensation
for his labor shall be proportionately
the same, in relation to the prices he
pays for things he buys, as the ratio
between the sale and purchase stood
in 1914. That is involved. 1t is COM
pick in the extreme, but the sponsors
of the plan say it will work success
fully, and the necessities of the situa-
ton certainly warrant hope that
their belief is correct.
But there is no need of services of q
soothsayer In pointing to the ire
mendous organization that is going to
be necessary in carrying out such leg
islation. A thousand and one things
must be considered. inspected, guarded,
negotiated, enforced. Government en-
ployees must do that work. The ma
chine can be made to click and run
smoothly, say supporters of the plan.
1t is the most gigantic political ma
chine in history, say opponents of the
program. Whichever view is correct, 1t
remains as a fact that there will be
government agents in every county to
tell farmers who enter into the agree
ments on acreage reduction what they
shall do and what they shall not do;
there will be inspectors galore In
processing plants and accountants
checking books when necessary, and
there will be taxes collected in what
ever amount the secretary of agricul-
ture DEGREES to be needed to pay the
cost.
1t is in the appointment Of the per-
sonnet for carrying out the act that
opponents of the plan insist there is
the greatest danger. They hold that 1t
will be impossible to obtain men and
women who will construe the law in
the same way or who will use their
discretionary power to the same ex-
tent.
Now to give consideration TO the
Muscle Shoals legislation:
Senator Norris, of
Muscle Shoals Nebraska, has been
Experiment promoting program
of development of
the Tennessee river since the national
defense act of 1915 provided for an
experimental production of nitrates
with water power at Muscle Shoals.
The late President Wilson obtained
legislation in 1917 for construction of
two dams there, and for power plants
and laboratories for the fxation of
nitrogen from the air. That was for
military purposes, but as soon as that
need passed, the atmospheric nitrogen
was to be used for fertilizer. Senator
Norris has argued for years for utili.
cation of the country's water resources
in development of electric power, and
the use of that power in providing
cheaper fertilizer for farms. He IL
known as an especially bitter foe Of
power companies, and times unnum
bered he has charged on the floor OF
the senate that the power companies
are a trust and that the commercial
manufacturers of fertilizers are q
trust. He has accused them of con
stantly bleeding the public who have
to buy those products.
But the present Muscle Shoals pro
gram, as enacted into law, goes fan
boropd Tho or;p;po1 Norr;s ,Jroon, IA
is, indeed, the dream of future
Tennessee valley as a man-made para
disc, laboratory for the good of the
human race, public benefaction or
the part of the government.
In addition to completion Of the
nitrate plants and the great power
program, the new law prescribes con
tinued tests of various kinds, improve
ment of navigability of the river
itself, reforestation Of the cutovel
hillsides and proper use of margina
lands" In that later authority, it 4!
| conceded, lies permission to accom-
| plish a great many things. Margina
lands is, of course, an economic term
1t means lands, the use Of which fol
certain crops is questionable. De
termination of the proper use of suci
lands, therefore, is undoubtedly a mat
ter of great moment. The Tennessee,
Valley Authority, the official name OF
the government-owned corporation tha
will direct the great experiment, cal
and probably will find ways and mean.
| of using marginal lands.
While every President and every
| political party for years has declared
for conservation Of national resource.
| and the Improvement of benefits from
those resources, never before has Il
been attempted on such a scale. The
possibilities are for cheap electricity
within transmission distance O
| MuSclo Shoals Ala for cboon nro