The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1938-03-03
by William Bfuckafe
30 Building Washington. D. q


porting more agricultural commodi-
ties than it exported. I could not
find when that condition had OBJ
tanned before. Certainly, there have
been few times in our history when
that has happened.
The department figures showed
that the United States imported ID
per cent more commodities from
the farms of the world than it ex-
ported from our farms. Further ex-
animation Of those statistics reveals
the disturbing fact that the bulk OF
those imports were things which our
American farmers could have
grown right at home. I can find
no other reason for the condition
than that the reciprocal trade trea-
ties which were to bring us pros
perity have taken prosperity to
some other farmers. 81
The circumstance caused me to
wonder then whether these trade
treaties are not slowly grinding the
American farmer into the dust. I
have tried to find out how the new
farm aid law, which restricts pro-
duction further in the United States,
Is going to help this situation. Ac-
cepting Secretary Wallace's state
ment that It will result in higher
prices for our farm products, win
it not by the same token make q
greater difference between foreign
prices and our own? And II that be
true, is not it to be expected that
there will be more imports Of farm
products from foreign lands? My
reasoning brings an answer Of
Eyes" in each case, and so I cannot
see where we are going to get
balanced expansion" out Of those
factors.
Now, as AL Smith used to say, let
us look at the record as 1t concerns
the trust-busting drive and its re-
lation to prices, employment and
the like. I simply have no patience
at all with the big business groups
that ignore or forget their RESPONSE
bilities to the public. There is no
excuse and can be no excuse for
crushing any individual who Is try
ing to run a business Of his own. It
is one thing. however. for busi-
ness to have grown big because It
serves its public well and quite an.
other thing for the same group to
have attained its bigness through
savage tactics.
That brings me to the recent con.
viction Of the oil companies in a
trial that was held
Trust at Madison, Wis.
Busting AS far as I have
read the record in
that case, the basis Of the charge by
the government was that the oil
companies had used pricing sys-
tenn which was fostered by the In
famous MIRA, a policy laid down by
congress. Secretary Ickes Of the
Department Of the Interior, now one
Of the loudest mouths in the chorus
Of bust the trusts, insisted on the
oil companies getting together. He
wrote letters to them to that effect.
OF course, the MIRA was held I'm.
constitutional but the decision was
based on the question Of congress
sional authority to delegate powers
to the executive officers. It did not
declare that congress had no right
to grant privilege Of agreement on
prices for purposes of sterilization.
We might also look at some Of
the tactics employed by the govern
ment. Robert H. jackson, who was
the spearhead and spokesman for
the trust busting drive, lately has
been promoted to the job of solicitor
general Of the United States. Mr..
Jackson told a senate committee
considering his nomination that he
had picked "the proper forum" for
the oil case. He said the Depart
ment Of Justice would continue to
do it. They picked a New York
court to hear the case against the
Aluminium company in order to get
the proper kind of a jury as they
did in the oil case.
The tactics used in the Aluminium
case seem to me to be almost rep
rehensible. For instance, the gov.
eminent had been anxious to set a
date for the trial and the Aluminium
company counsel urged early ac-
ton. The record of that day in
court in New York revealed that
when Judge Knox proposed a date
early in April. Walter Rice, one Of
Mr.. Jackson's assistants, admitted
to the court that the government
did not yet have enough evidence
to prosecute.
This seems far afield from the
price question. I wonder If it is
so far off the subject. As I said
earlier in this discussion, legal &C.
ton against anybody, individual or
corporation, is destructive, democrat
izing and expensive. I know moth
ing about the merits of the oil case
or the aluminium case or any of the
others beyond what / have picked
up in the records. On the other
hand, however, it is plain for any,