Show THE FARM SITUATION the reaper has always opposed legislation no strums concocted to cure all the ills of agriculture by vote etc otc chasing politicians but on the other hand band we cannot remain hide bound and blind to present day realities there is much truth in the comment one hears bears often to the effect that the prices for the things the farmer buys are established by an american market while the prices for the produce he sells are established by world markets with a higher standard of living prevailing in this country than in any other part of the globe it is natural that the farmer gets the worst of things in the long run the manufacturer has his normal production taken care of at a good fair margin of profit his surplus if he has any he be can sell abroad at cost prices or slightly below and charge off the loss to the cost of doing business and make up in the prices he receives from the american market the farmer on the other hand band must dispose of everything he produces on the basis of world markets f this may be an old argument it has been advanced in connection with the tariff for several generations but no satisfactory solution in this connection has ever been proposed now the administration is face to face with it again and during the next few months we will see many new plans advanced for its solution the mcnary haugen bill introduced in the last long session of congress was framed to deal with this through the establishment of an export marketing agency by the government but that plan was for all of its good points in many respects rather crude in it might work successfully one year but it would lead to overproduction and eventually more trouble than the farmer is now dealing with some modification of this idea which would prevent overproduction over production and still retain the benefits that might have accrued from the former measure may be worked out at any rate it is well for all of us in this thi country city dweller as well as rural dweller to keep an open mind on this matter and remember that anything which will ur the long run benefit the food producers of the nation is bound to reflect to the benefit of everyone |