The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-03-15

certain in those Chas. McNary
states they must have two things-a
definite farm program, and cam
didate who can convince the farm
ers that they really mean it.
A winning farm program is rela-
lively easy-a direct and simple
subsidy on domestic consumption
financed by a processing tax and
coupled with a minimum OF regi-
mentation.
Yes, a processing tax is sales
tax. So in greater or less degree is
every other tax. The bulk of federal
revenue is from sales taxes-appar-
ent or hidden.
Yes, consumers will kick, but
what difference does it make to
them whether they pay higher
price for farm products engineered
by Mr.. Wallace's destructive and
artifcially created shortages of pro-
duction, gigantic stored surplus and
lost export markets, or pay the
same price part in cost or part in
tax? I have written this argument
several times and shall write it sew
eral times more, because it is both
right and important and it hasn't yet
been accepted.
After trying and failing with
every other farm scheme known to
man, the fourth New Deal thinkers
are probably aware that this is the
only practical approach of the farm
problem, but won't advocate it open
ly, not only because they did not
devise it but have opposed it in favor
of others which promised greater
political RECOMMENDATION and control.
It therefore remains available as
a winning Republican weapon in the
corn, wheat and Bible belts, but
those great open spaces have been
fooled so often by Republican prom
Uses of Equality for agriculture"
that the G. o. P. would need an
automatic convincer to be sure OF
selling them.
Although it isn't my business to
be nominating Republican presiden.
tial candidates, have offered the
crown to several including Bruce
Barton, Fiorello LaGuardia and
Wendell Willkie-who used to be a
Democrat-so maybe I can risk
amounting another.
For this particular strategy the
Republicans have ready-made
candidate in Sen. Charlie McNary.
For IL years he led the farm fight
for the McNary-Haugen bill, which
would have worked for wheat at
least at the time he proposed it
even though it wouldn't work now.
It didn't win, but that fight made
the election Of Mr.. Roosevelt pos
sible, made the country conscious Of
the farm problem and the farmers
conscious of Senator McNary.
He wouldn't need any selling to
agriculture. They would know that
whatever he proposed he would
fight for with bulldog tenacity. 9th
erwise, he is a veteran public SER
want, a charming personality and a
good speaker. He is as presentable
a candidate with other groups
as any of the rest of the boys who
think they hear the call.
Senator Taft stuck his neck out on
this problem and so far revealed his
lack of familiarity with it that even
so hating talEer as Henry Wallace
could and did make him look like
an amateur. Mr.. Dewey would
have as much trouble convincing
midwestern farmers that he knows
what makes them tick as AL Smith
did. From this particular angle,
at least, Senator McNary is a nat
ura1.
WHISKY TRADE GEAR
If this writer doesn't know some
thing about fair trade practice
codes, in all their forms and vari-
cites, it isn't from lack of opportu-
nifty.
The simplest, cleanest, fairest and
best supplemented effort Of this sort
that has come to my attention is
the proposed code for the distilled
spirits industry by the executive