The Coolidge examiner., 1936-12-17

DGlUGI CIldIl q C"O W o11O l1lCAJ
The election of the president
followed an address delivered by
Chester Gray, executive secretary
OF the American Farm Bureau
Federation, who left on the 1898
o'clock train Tuesday evening for
Headquarters at Washington.
Secretary Gray talked for an
hour on the subject of farmers
problems, principally as they are
coordinated with the Federal
Government. He spoke at length
on transportation in general, rail
roads, ship lines, trucking and air
planes, and stressed the point that
the farm-to-market highways are
the most important of all to the
farmers. He said the Farm Bureau
ordinated setup taking in all of the
means of moving farming and other
commodities, ''for the reason" he
explained, "if such an arrangement
is given over to the Federal Govern
ment it will put the whole matter
in the hands of the Interstate Com
merce Commission"
In this connection Secretary Gray
recited that Harry Hopkins. WPA
administrator stated several years
ago that if he could use all funds
at his command to build farm-tO-
market roads he could put every
unemployed man in the United
States at work"
Secretary Gray referred to Ad-
ministrator Hopkins. as "the best
spender," and reported that after
fourteen years of constant effort the
Farm Bureau Federation has Sc
cured 90 percent Of the federal
money beisg spent on highways for
farm-to-market roads" He quoted
Administrator Hopkins as saying
eff federal money is to be spent on
primary highways it will not take
up much of the unemployment
slack, since the contractors use
heavy machinery instead of men to
build these highways"
Long and Short Haul
Discussing at length the contro-
versy over the long and short haul
tariffs, Secretary Gray stated that
filberts are being shipped from New
York State to Denver Tor less than
they are being shipped from Salem,
Ore, to Denver He said to coordi-
nate transportation facilities under
the Interstate Commerce "would
mean higher instead of lower rates
to the farmers"
Secretary Gray covered a wide
range of government as it applies
to the problems of farmers. He
dwelt at length upon the changes
that are brought about when ma
tiOns become credi or instead of
debtor nations, using the United
States as an example after it be-
came a creditor nation subsequent
to the World War. He cited sugar
as one example, saying that millions
and millions of dollars of U. S.
money has gone to Cuba to promote
the sugar industry there since the
World War, while the United States
is producing only 25 percent of the
sugar consumed in this country. He
described the United States as
emerging from the World War the
richest nation in the world" He
emphasized the point that when
nation takes lead in riches it's
money flows out, and in doing so
improverishes the farmers by virtue
of the fact that their home markets
are subservient to foreign-grOwn
prodults supported by American
capital.
when we quit lending them
money" Secretary Gray stated,
they quit buying our agricultural
products" and, he continued, this
very thing happened, hence We had
to curtail production" He rather
favored some features of the AAA
setup. He said the AAA did some
good in 1888" adding, "but We used
ir too long" He described a nation
that is borrowing capital from us
as the most formidable competitor
we can have"
Commences Excise Oil Tax
Secretary Gray related how the
U. S. Governments tax of three
cents per pound OH soybean oil had
resulted in much good to the
farmers who produce oils from
cottonseed and other sources. He
said "the 1884 excise tax put money
in your pockets" adding, "Presi-
dent Roosevelt devaluing the gold
dollar helped, too"
Discussing the Argentine meat
jldustry, Secretary Gray stated that,
according to press reports, Presi-
dent Roosevelt gave it out while he
was in South America about two
weeks ago that the United States
would permit cattle from Patagonia
to be shipped into the United States