The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-05-14
The CO-OPTIMIST
Of the F. u. G.. T. A.

No Ouota-No Loans
That's a Good Sign
Get Those Speeches
| The head of the farm family, Living
on a small farm with a low income
standard of living, will have a chance
to discover the meaning of "Hobson'f
choice" when he goes, on May 81, tt
vote for or against imposing wheat
marketing quota on himself, and those
like him. Most Americans think OF
"Hobson's choice" as a term rising
from the exploit of Lieut. Richard P
Hobson, in 1898, when he sank the
Merrimac in the neck of Santiago
Cuba, harbor to bottle up Admiral Ger.
vera's fleet. But it is older than that
The term originated with the system
of Thomas Hobson, who in 1920, ran a
livery barn in Cambridge. England
He required every customer to take
the horse standing nearest the door
hire horse was: Either take the
horse or go without. That about
spells the situation of the man and
the family-sized farm.
If he votes for the wheat quota, he
cuts down the wheat acreage he is
permitted to plant to so or 70 acres
and even less But If he votes against
the quota, (and only a fraction more
than one-third of the vote has to go
age loans will cease and the prospects
are that the price of wheat will spiral
down to 30 or 35 cents bushel. There
is his Hobson's choice" In a speech
on May 6, in the senate, Senator Clap
per of Kansas said IF and when the
quotas are invoked on
wheat, thousands of operators of fam
lily sized farms are threatened with
being squeezed out of business. They
cannot make living on their allotted
acreage. If they produce in excess of
their allotments, they face a penalty
Of 40 to so cents bushel on excess
whether it is marketed or
fed to poultry or livestock on their
own farms" The senator made a
pointed speech which he based on
NJ W. Thatcher's letter and recent
issue of the Co-Optimist, both of
which were printed in the Congress
5ional Record as part of the senator's
speech, on the plight of the family
sized farm.
Yet, in spite of the uncertainty of
he outcome of the quota vote, both
house and senate go forward with
to make mandatory crop
oans on stored wheat, with penalty
If half the loan value for those who
all to comply. The house passed the
dill carrying an order to make loans
IN wheat at rs per cent of the parity
price. This would be about 85 cents.
rhe senate voted to increase the per-
eentage to IS, making the loan value
1922 cents. But of what avail will
hat measure be if the wheat farmers
yote against the quota? If there is to
)e no quota-there will be no govern
nent loans.
On the same day, and just preced-
ng Senator Capper, Senator Bank
read of Alabama, made about the best
md all-inclusive speech for proper
reatment of the farmer that has yet
appeared in the Record. He bolstered |
lis argument with tables and figures
which not only showed what the loan
ate was in 1910, but what it will be in |
941, under either the rs per cent or
he S5 per cent basis. To that he |
dded tables showing what the pro-
ucer received for the raw materials, |
What the consumer paid and what the |
niddleman took in the way of profit |
nd cost of processing. Thus, he |
bowed that in a pound loaf of bread
he farmer got IL cents, the middle
len got 7.9 cents-or 85 per cent OF
he whole price He took similar
arallel in cotton. He showed what
he farmer is paying for corn plant
RS, mowers, barb wire, paint, lumber,
anu OtnCi INV
nat the present prices were from 100
, POI per cent above parity. The
enator did not overlook point in
nat review of agricultural disparity
hen he moved that the senate dis
gree with the house on the measure
nder discussion and was himself ap-
ointed chairman of the conference
is good sign for
le farmers.
The hopeful part of 1t is that the
Lrmers are getting a hearing-and
lat came mainly as a result of organ
alton which gave them representa-
on before congress in Washington.
he Farmers Union offers the farmer
lie only way to avoid having to ac-
ept Hobson's choice-a thing he has II
ad to take for far too many years.
rould you like to read what Bank
FAD and Capper said? Write either
Sen. John H. Bankhead or Sen.
rthur Capper, Washington, d. c. and
TX for copy of their speeches as
ley appeared in the Congressional
ecord on May 6.