Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1948-07-30
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REPORTER.
Farm, Coop Plank
IN WASHINGTON
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someone is due for a royal dou-
decreasing on the farm coopera-
tive plank in the Republican plat
form adopted at the convention at
Philadelphia.
The National Council of Farmer
Cooperatives is pleased with the
plank and its Washington letter, the
washington Situation" of June Is,
says "The statement on coopera-
tives was included over the most
bitter opposition from the National
Tax Equality association and the
National Associated Businessmen,
Inc. They appeared before at least
three subcommittee during the
week in a vain attempt to get a
tax equality plank"
On the other hand, the NTEA
and the NAB, who are the bitter
foes of the NCFC, issued re-
lease at Philadelphia immedi-
ately after the platform was
adopted in which they claim
decisive victory over the farm
cO-ops.
The release on the letterhead Of
NAB declares: 1.-THE present tax
exemption of cooperatives and other
tax exempt businesses failed to win
support in the proposed Republican
platform of 1913. This defeat for the
co-ops was revealed today in the
text of the party's proposed plat
form setting forth principles on
which the Republican party will ap-
peal to the nation for votes at the
next November general election 80.
the co-ops had advocated that the
Republicans declare in specific Ian
guage for the present tax-exempt
privileges" Now who is right on
this issue?
The COP platform plank on
coOperatives contained just Is
words-"support of the principles
of bona-fide farmer-owned and
farmer-operated cooperatives."
That's all it says. And the farm
cooperatives say they are salts
fed with that plank.
But the plank on small business,
"the bulwark of American enter
prise calls, among other things,
for correction of tax abuses" And
it is upon this language that the
NTEA and the NAB claim victory.
Insofar as this reporter is con-
cerned, our opinion is that the farm
cooperatives are Whistling in the
dark if they are satisfied with the
farm cooperative plank. AS a mat
ter of fact, the farm cooperative
plank in this 1913 platform is IDEN-
TICAL with the 1914 COP conven-
ton platform which read Support
of the principles of bona-fide farm
crowned and farmer-operated CO.
operatives" And further, the 1914
plank on small business provided
sit must be aided by changes in
taxation and enforcement of
laws against monopoly and unfair
competition"
Tax Issue
And the 1914 plank did not pre-
vent the Republican Both congress
from attempting to eliminate the
tax-eXempt features of farm coop
eratives and neither did it bring
about further enforcement of laws
against monopoly or unfair COM
petition" for small business.
If the co-ops will remember,
Rep. Walter Ploeser (Rep.,
aIoD conducted hearings all over
the country with the express
purpose of ending the tax ex-
emption of co-ops declaring
they were socialistic or COM
muniStic.
And it was only the herculean eff
forts of some of the friends of agri-
culture in congress that headed off
a new tax bill when Rep. Harold
Knutson (Rep., MIMI, chairman
of the house ways and means COM
mittee, started to hold hearings for
this purpose, namely ending of coop
tax exemption.
The one thing upon which CO.
op leaders are pinning their
hopes is that both Gov. Thomas
E. Dewey, COP presidential
nominee, and Gov. Earl War
rem Of California, vice presiden-
tial nominee, are on record as
favoring retention Of the tax
exempt feature. So, also, is
President Harry Truman.
To use a favorite expression of
Sen. Claude Pepper of Florida, the
long range farm program adopted
by the Both congress is "delusion
and snare" The senate passed
pretty fair bill. The house baked
and passed standby bill which
merely extended present price sup
ports to January, 1880. Then the
conference committee took the SEN
ate bill and the house bill, made
present price supports applicable
until Dec 81, 1919, and the senate
bill is presumed to 60 into effect
then. What will happen though is
that new bill will be written be-
fore that time. -. -.
ODer 800 Bills -.
Bills passed by the 8eth congress