The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-08-20
They Learn At Home.
Our Vermont Convert.
No Less-No Morei
Meat in the Cocoanut.
Balance the Scales.

Signs increase that the prediction
made by this column as to the rem
edial effect of the return of congress
men to their constituencies, was not
far off the mark. This, of course
had to do with the effect on senators
and house members of contact with
! farmers on the farm front Men dc
not have to leave Washington to know
just what industry, finance or other
organized interests want. A cloud of
there and the counsels of the govern
ment. But for the voice of the Farm
ers Union, there is no representative
of the dirt farmer or the family-type
farm in Washington, and, with so
many others crowding their demands,
wants and wishes upon the congress,
that voice is too often drowned out or
unheeded congressman must return
to the home district and interview
the farmer to discover what the tiller
of the soil thinks and wants.
y
An instance OF the erect OF Sucn
home contacts is that of Sen. Geo. D..
Aiken, Republican, of Vermont. He
went back home and then returned to
Washington to tell the world that he
had quit his opposition to incentive
payments and subsidies for the farm
er. That came after talks with Yer
mont farmers. Curious part of it is
that the program he now supports is
nothing more or less than that pro-
posed more than a year ago by the
Farmers Union and the GTA! He
says: "a support price, based on the
cost of production, produces the
goods, and that's what we want"
That is exactly what M. w. Thatcher
asked first, months ago! He asked
for a support price, based on parity,
which is cost of production, because
he knew it would produce the food
and feed that the world must have if
it is to weather this storm of war
and escape famine, disease and death.
Those who fear such program
as Sen. Aiken did before he changed
his viewpoint = exclaim that it will
mean initiation and increased cost of
food. Mr.. Thatcher said it would do
no such thing, because the response
to a fair price would result in such
a volume of farm products that prices
would not tend to rise. He, speaking
for the Farmers Union and the GTA,
repeatedly said: Give the farmer
parity-no less and NO MORE. Now
hear Senator Aiken: "The volume of
production which would be obtained
under such a program would eliminate
the possibility of sky-rocketing food
prices" Some up-and-coming division
of the Farmers Union should send
Senator Aiken an honorary member
ship in our organization! He talks
like one of us!
Senator Aiken even followed the
Farmers Union lead on the matter of
a parity between farm production and
production He pointed
out "the government has not quibbled
about the prices it had to pay to get
volume production of war equipment" |
and added that he cannot understand |
why the same principle should not be
applied to farm products That is the
neat in the cocoanut. Why must a
wheat producer take Is per cent
LESS than it costs him to produce
when the munitions or ship builder
gets cost with a fat profit guaranteed.
Why make flesh of one and fish of
he other? Guns and ships will win
he war, but how far do they get if
he manpower behind them is out of
Jictuals?
There will be more than Senator
Aiken on the mourner's bench before
congress meets next month. Right
low there is a conference of senators
md Representatives billed for Minnea-
)olis on August 16 and IT, Eight
senator's and Is representatives have
aid they would be present. The first
ussed is the farm problem" No
natter how the discussion ends, no
natter if they decide that the wheat
armer is getting enough now and
hould be content with Is per cent
ess than cost-the meeting is a good
ign. 1t indicates that they feel some
hing is wrong-else why discuss it or
MENTION farm problem? They've
een home, as Senator Aiken was
alking with the farmer, and they're