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Show I I (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) j 1 PAY FARMER FOR RAISING THINGS WE NOW IMPORT i 1 THE EFFORT to solve the Amerl- !can farm problem cost the United States $1,567,000,000 last year. That was seven times the cost for 1933. I For 1940 the total amounted to an j average of $261 per farm, but the farmers did not get all of that County administration costs amount-I amount-I ed to $104,020,000, an average of Just about $4,000 per county. That county coun-ty administration cost represented 8 per cent of the total government ap-I ap-I propriation, an Increase from 2V4 per cent in 1935. These county administration ad-ministration costs do not cover the salaries of county agents. And still the farm problem is not solved. We have on hand today more than one full year's average crop of cotton cot-ton and practically one year's crop of wheat, with the surplus In all products growing each year, our world markets decreasing, and agricultural ag-ricultural Imports from other countries coun-tries continuing, and in some lines increasing. Each year we are importing agricultural ag-ricultural products which we can, and to some extent do, raise in -his country to the extent of 1 billion dollars. If the American larmer was encouraged to raise the products prod-ucts we are now importing, if he were paid a small price for raising them, and then given a protected market in which to sell them, we might find a solution to the American Ameri-can farm problem. The farmer is not seeking government govern-ment charity. He is asking only fair play. Manufacturers were given giv-en protected markets to offset the wage scales in this country as compared com-pared with other nations. The American Amer-ican farmer wants the same kind of consideration and should he get it, would be better off financially than he is now, even though the government govern-ment is paying him for limiting production pro-duction an amount that far exceeds the entire cost of government 25 years ago. The American farmer wouid prefer pre-fer to be paid for what he dos, rather rath-er than for what he does net do. He likes to stand on his own feet when that is at all possible. Some day both major political parties may make that discovery. TJ. S. WILL BE ONLY CREDITOR NATION LATE IN OCTOBER of 1018, An-dre An-dre Tardieu, then a member of the French cabinet, said to me hi Paris: "France cannot again be the cus-, cus-, tomer of America that she has been in the past. Our lack of resources will force us to produce our own foods and our own raw materials. We must grow our cotton in the Niger valley of Africa and in Indo China. More intensive cultivation of French, or French colonial farms must produce our foods, unless America is willing to finance us." That is just what happened to the foreign market of American farm One Heart and ) Let us, then, fellow-ct with one heart and one: us restore to social ii that harmony and afe: out which liberty and ei self are but dreaij Thomas Jefferson. products, not only in France, but in other European nations. When the present war is over, there will be nothing left in Europe with which to buy. The United States will be the one big creditor nation of the world. We must learn the methods of a creditor nation. We must buy if we would sell, and we must not make the American farmer carry all the load. Today we buy farm products from foreign countries that we may sell those countries manufactured products That is not fair to the American farmer. He is entitled to his home market. A GREAT MAN IN COUNTRY JOURNALISM AS I PASSED through Oregon City, Ore., recently, I recalled one of the outstanding men of country journalism who died about a year ago. Edward E. Brodie and his : Oregon City Enquirer aided mated-ally mated-ally w making Oregon City the thriving little city it is. Edward Brodie and his newspaper led the way, and people of the community followed that lead. I knew Edward Brodie in many Places throughout the nation and the world. President Harding sent him to Siam as American minister. Later he was transferred to Finland TPLTSu faVrite Wilh Finnish peop e. He served the National Edi-tonal Edi-tonal association as its president of count mUCh fr the advancement of country journalism. He knew the I and the value of the newspaper to i the rural community. He wa. on! Jjth. great men of country journal! ! . ! 'ON-PAYING BRIDGE |