The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-09-17
STAMP TAX OPPRESSION AND
POTATOES .....

POTATOES .... .;-...
Farmers of Henderson and ADJOINING
counties are extensively engaged IN the
growing of Irish potatoes. Their interests
will be vitality affected by the so-called
potato control section of the laws enact
ed by the Congress to perpetuate and make
absolute the tyranny imposed on American
agriculture and the people of this country
through the United States Agricultural
Department.
The great American public is also vitality
interested in this Raw Deal decree-and
that applies to the consumers of this sec
ton as well as those elsewhere in the Unit
ed States.
What are the growers and the consunl-
ers going to do about it?
The potato growers of one New Jersey
county have already organized and public
ly announced that they will not observe
this potato control law. AS it is the limit
in dark ages political and bureaucratic
tyranny, the people of the country certain
ly will be aroused by it's enactment to put
definite stop to the entertainments of the
Raw Dealers upon their natural and con-
stitutional rights and their freedom as
American citizens.
The Farm Journal, one of the country's
leading agricultural papers, has this to say
of potato control:
This potato program is RECOMMENDATION in big
way Washington regards it with establishment
and doubt. 1t calls for a determination by the
Secretary of Agriculture of the amount of po-
taoes that can be raised next year, the alOcat
ing Of quotas to each state, based on the proper
ton f. produced to the average yield of four
years between 1927 and 1884, and to each farm
e. in the state who produced potatoes in 1882,
1888 and 1884. If he produced none in any one
of those years. he can get no quota, can raise no
potatoes, except subject to a prohibitive tax.
If the farmer raises more than his quota, he
must pay confscatory tax of 45 cents bushe
on whatever he sells above his quota. Moreover
he must sell his potatoes in packages decreed by
the secretary, all of which must bear revenue
stamp. If he does not he can be fined. The
buyer cannot purchase potatoes contained in any
package not made according to regulations else
ne too will be fined.
ulatiOns included in the potato control act
The farmer who violates any of the regula
tions may be fined as much as $1,000, OF
imprisoned for twelve months. The same
is true of the buyer of unstamped or I'M
regulated potatoes. A fine of 81 700 may
be imposed on the purchaser, or the pen
atty imposed may be Imprisonment fol
twelve months.
Old King George the Third was truly i
piker. In his most exalted moments as
tyrant he never conceived anything worthy
to stand alongside of potato control" One
wonders what our Revolutionary ancestors
would have done to a government thai
originated and foisted 'potato control or
them. An innocent stamp tax on tea pre-
cipitated the American Revolution. If the
stamp tax on potatoes, produced on Ameri
can farms under the folds of the Stars and
Stripes, results in a revolution that knocks
the present Socialist tyranny in this coun
try into a cooked hat, it will be worth the
price.
1t is said that Congressman Warren OF
this State is the author of the potato con
troll scheme. No doubt that means it i:
wanted by the big growers in the eastern
section of the State, but there is not 6
chance that it will meet anything but
strenuous opposition in the western part
of the State. Citizens of eastern NORTH