The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-01-08

ltuQJ al W. 4floiitss 1|cN- ~ -
The Peoples Voice
Helena Montana
Dear Editor:
l hope l am permitted to discuss
why | can not agree with Mr.. Egley
idea of solving our economic prob
lens, with Cooperation combined
with Public ownership" | believe
that policy will require a swivel chair
administrator that would have bureau
cratic control, and we would find that
the Co-operatives would be subordl
nate to the government Saying 1t IN
| farm language; the government would
| tell us farmers how much, and what
to produce, how and when to do the
work and then maybe not let us sell
| it, after we were told to produce 1t.
| / first wish to state, l was pleased
to meet Mr.. Egley. He has pleas
ing personality. He is likeable and
does not show any personal animosity
towards those that do not agree with
him. l wish to say l have no per-
sonal feeling against Mr.. Egley.
1 believe in Cooperation as com
petitor. l paid cash for my stock in
both the oil station and elevator at
Rudyard
We must remember that we farmers
as a group are in the minority, and
the governments policy can make or
break us, and sometimes it looks like
they would break us if the majority
did not have to eat.
| write these letters to show the
injustices in our present AAA control
program.
I worked and saved to build myself
a self sustaining farm unit in this
area. l had to expand some. have
a total of 1888 acres, | have clear
title to 463 acres and 1 am paying for
800 acres of state owned land on the
33-year plan. | have base for wheat
of 1913 acres for 1913. Now they
want to take some of that away from
me after they have allotted me that
1913 acres. 1t was several years be-
fore 1 was able to pay for this; then
the machinery cost me above $4,000
We were told to build up capital re-
serves in cash or livestock. Most OF
my wheat acreage was on rented land,
allowed my stock numbers to in
crease until l had at one time l02
head of cattle and some horses. l
live in a wheat area where there is
very little range land. My rented
acreage was sold away from me when
the AA came along, l was forced to
stay out of the program, / had to sell
my wheat at or below the 81 percent
parity loan value, and make up the
loss by selling cattle. In four years
the AAA cleaned me out of the cattle
business and the increase from the
102 head along with it, then my horses
went too. l have now two cows and
their calves and one heifer to freshen
in the spring This program took
several thousand dollars away from
me.
Bureaucratic control has destroyed
according to the report of the Tolan
committee 100000 farm families dur
ing the period from 1885 to 1910, and
in addition the FCA has kept 100000
on the farms that could not get fe-
nancial help from the banks, because
they did not have sufficient security
Many of the FSA farmers were given
grants.
This record was so bad that the
1910 census was not released for pub
LEGATION.
The larger units were benefited by
the government program of giving the
larger units the large payments and
the small units destroyed by taking
their acreage away from them, when
their acreage was already too small.
Our prices are not now set by the
private retailers, nor the wholesalers |
either. AS an example, just after war
was declared in 1899 the price of
sugar started up, as did the price OF |
wheat. The administration removed |
he sugar quota, this allowed the
sugar reserves of the world to come
nto the United States. The records
show the price of sugar went down,
ind when the quota was placed into
effect just before beet seeding time,
he warning came that if people
boarded and forced the price up the
QUOTA would again be removed. That
lct did the trick. Wheat started up
It the rate of 5 cents day, and the
warming went out that the administra-
ion would not allow profiteering.
10 not believe in profiteering either,
tut this came before wheat prices
vas anywhere near parity. Please
Ook up the record.
The administration could allow the
canadian SURPRISES to come in and
nocked the bottom right out of their
wn sterilization program. In fact
ne of the important members in the
abinet wanted to allow Canadian
heat to come onto our market for !
nat very purpose.
l believe Mr.. Egley that chemurgy !
an be the door by which markets
II all we can produce can find a mar i
ct right in our domestic market: '
ut we must have our own market for 1
ur own. domestic producers, and if T
e are to preserve our wage standard G
nd living standard we must protect
lr higher standards against the inn v
ortation of goods and products pro- t
lced by cheap foreign labor. i
Sincerely yours, t
FRED AFTER. n
December 20, 1912 a
ditor, The Peoples Voice: t
JUDGE ANGSTMAN, THE TOWN, t