The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1954-02-05
Be For the Farmer, For
A Change, Mr.. Benson
Jan. Is, 1854

Hon. Ezra Taft Benson
Washington, ID. c.
Dear Mr.. BenSOn:
There was a time when farming got
tough and the farmer couldn't pay his
debts he lust loaded the wife and kids
up and a few cha titles and moved on
out farther west and took up new LANDS
That day ended about forty odd years
ago. When there wasn't any more free
lands to exploit the real acid test came
to the farmer and agriculture. 1t WASH {
many years before the value of all the
farm lands in the United States did not
equal the mortgages that hung over
the farms of our nation. The farm mort
gage in Iowa, the richest agricultural
state in the union. averaged $199 per
acre on all the land in the state.
Harding's, Coolidge's and Hoover's
administrations did nothing to save
the farmer from wholesale bankruptcy.
You certainly haven't forgotten the
National Farmers Holiday Association
when the farmers defied the laws of
our land and refused to be evicted from
the humble homes they had built on
the land under adverse conditions. The
smoke from the hell-fire they raised
settled on the dome of our national
Capitol in Washington, D. c. Yes, and
about the time the smoke was settling
over our national Capitol every last
bank in the United States was closed.
(Quit doing business).
Millions of men, women and children
were in bread and soup lines. The high
ways were crowded with homeless peo-
pie looking for bread and a place to
lay their heads. 500 of the farms in
the country l live in in Montana went
for non-payment of taxes. This was
universal all over our nation. Why did
this tragedy happen? 1t happened be-
cause there was a busted agriculture.
Over the years the farmer had been
short changed in the so-called Free
Market" Why is it you want the farmer
to take less than 1000 parity for his
commodities? Industries and labor are
getting parity, yes even more. When
the farmer gets less some body some
where is getting more than parity. You
will find in the Congressional Record,
Jan. q issue, a speech made by Hon.
Clifford Hope of Kansas to the cham
Der of commerce of Des Moines. Iowa,
on Oct 16, 1858. You should read this
speech it will do you good to learn
little about our economy. He has this
to say, In 1914 which was supposed to
be back in the good old days, l hour
factory labor would purchase S12 lbs
of bread, now l hour factory labor
will purchase 10.7 lbs. of bread. In
1914 l hour factory labor would pur-
chase 6 Id. of butter, today it will pur-
chase p lbs. of butter. In 1914 hour
of factory labor would get him g doz.
In 1914 1 hour labor would purchase
12& lbs. of potatoes, now it will buy
him 31.S lbs. of potatoes. Yes, in spite
of all the talk about high price meat,
l hour factory labor in 1914 would buy
9 lb. of round steak, now it will buy
2 pounds of steak. You will find this
speech in the Record in the appendix
page A 461 Jan. 81 issue 1854.
Mr. Benson you are not fooling hon.
est to God dirt farmers. In all your
speeches, radio forums and press con-
ferences you are trying to build con-
m resistance and resentment |
against support prices for the farmers |
If you would spend more |
time with men like Cong. Clifford Hope |
who knows the farm problems and less
time with the big meat packers and |
he industrial tycoons you might get
better understanding of the farmers
,roblems and the chair you sit on might
lot get so all fired hot All the honest
lirt farmer wants is a square deal, your
modernized" agriculture doesn't mean
nything to us unless it gives the farm
r the same treatment that the indus
ries and labor gets. You bust agri-
ulture and you once more will have
read and soup lines throughout our
and. Let's go forward in this great
ountry of ours and not backwards.
Sincerely,
o. B. HORSFORD. Wolf Point