AGRICULTURAL RELIEF

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State, and industrial associations and organizations in the consideration
 of agricultural problems and to assist and aid agriculture as
business and industry are assisted and aided by the Department of
Commerce, and as labor is assisted by the Department of Labor.
With the farmers organized to work with the commission established
 by this plan, their farm products could be sold on a merchandizing
 basis and the “spread” between the wholesale price of what
they sell and the retail price of what they buy, may be reduced to a
“live and let live’ basis, or the “spread” between the price to the
farmers and the price to the consumer be reduced to the advantage
of both.
In a word, the plan should function so as to allow the farmers a
living wage and at the same time reduce the price to the consumer
by good business management and the reduction of waste.
This plan visualizes the nationalization of agriculture in conjunction
with industry and labor so that all may live and prosper together.
Agriculture must plant its poor and its marginal and eroded lands to
forests or grass and cease cultivating them at a loss. It must maintain
 and increase the fertility of the soil instead of selling and shipping
away its fertility—posterity and our countrv’s future must be
considered.
We need not worry about surpluses. The world is never many
days ahead of starvation. If we are to lead the world, we must
have its best agricultural system, one that will function everywhere
and produce in as large measure as possible and in right proportions,
every product needed for food, raiment, or comfort. Orcanized
production will eliminate surpluses.
This plan visualizes such a system—organization, knowledee of
requirements, orderly planting and marketing.
We owe something to agriculture. It is the incubator of mankind.
lt has produced and nurtured practically all of our great statesmen,
merchants, bankers, manufacturers, and leaders in all lines of endeavor.
 It trained them in initiative, integrity, and industry, and
along the other constructive lines we are now, at great cost, trying to
irain them in schools. It produces yearly millions, vea billions, of new
wealth which is poured into the coffers of trade and is the basis of our
prosperity.
If it were not for the flood of new wealth that agriculture pours
into the maw of trade every year, our accumulation of gold would
disappear like gambler’s chips into the same maw of trade.
New wealth is wrested from mother earth by agriculture, or comes
[rom her mines and oil wells and fisheries. It is not produced by
fabricating existing materials. This is old stuff but still true. All
of which was known before the Christian era, nevertheless, it behooves
us to hold fast to some of the old thoughts—they are not all “bunk.”
This agricultural relief plan comes from the same source wherein
originated the Federal land bank. It isn’t mine, but I indorse it
and pass it along with the hope that some day in some way, its
merits may be seen and spread and adopted and built upon and
improved and fitted into the warp and woof of our business fabric.
Agriculture should be organized to function properly and be
ziven a “place in the sun” with industry and labor.
[ have given you all I have on the subject, and if there are questions
should be pleased to answer them.
The CuairMAN. Are there anv questions to be asked?

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