502.

AGRICULTURAL RELIEF
3. The plan for agricultural relief has not included the ending of the unfair
features of the business men’s trade association, one in each channel of trade,
and the Government’s setting aside of the antitrust law. }

The explanation of why an adequate relief for the agriculturists has not been
secured in seven long years is that humanity have been suffering from a hell
on earth: the coming down of the piled-up evil forces from wrongdoing in the
past. There exists a moral universe, including free-will mankind, who reap as
they sow. Lincoln described it in his second inaugural address. He explained
the underlying cause of the Civil War—the wrongs committed by this people,
and I am explaining the underlying cause of the World War and of the ensuing
world-wide class war, not yet ended. But beginning in 1924 in Europe and in
this country an advance was started, augmented in 1926 in this country by the
nomination and election of an equal-rights congress, which now is in session, and
I am proposing a workable plan for agricultural relief and relief for impoverished
Europe.

Returning to a description of the new institution of Industrial Democracy, in
1922 the pattern for the Queensland system was mainly original: the setting up
of the agricultural council and the ending of the senate, along with unified
cooperative marketing. However, the later codification of 1926 in Queensland
shows that power has been taken from the agricultural council and placed with
the minister of agriculture, the actual operations being conducted by the unified
cooperative marketing associations, in each of which there is a representative of
the minister of agriculture, who is responsible to the legislative assembly, which
represents the public. In no other country has the agricultural council been
imitated. It has become almost useless. In the United States there is no
need for the proposed Federal Farm Board, provided the Secretary of Agriculture
becomes the head of the Federal agricultural commission, as called for in the
system I am proposing.

In Queensland the farm products that are being handled in the new system
include dairy products, meat, dried fruit, wheat, corn, cotton, peanuts, canary
seed, arrowroot, millet, and eggs. By administrative order additional products
are being added.

The consumers in the home market are protected by appropriate regulations,
including the issuance of rules by the state-wide boards of cooperative marketing,
and on each board there is a representative of the minister of agriculture, whose
action or failure to act can be brought up in the legislative assembly for con-
sideration and vote. Also in each community there are the local producers’
associations, and for the State the agricultural council.

Patterns that have been used in constructing and applying this Queensland
system must have been the Federal reserve act of the United States, also the

Brazilian coffee system, and the Yucatan sisal system.

As to coffee in Brazil there is restriction of acreage, and that profits shall not
be excessive, as that would cause too large an acreage. By international con-
ference and agreement in the near future the correct amount of world acreage
for the various products of the soil are to be arrived at.. We now are living in
a new era: The possibilities of industrial democracy, parallel to political govern-
ment. It is an unexpected middle course between communism and the private
enterprise of a ruling few. In 1922 I explained the change in a book and also
before the Senate and House Committees on Agriculture. but the time for relief
had not yet come.

_ The State of Queensland, of the Australian Commonwealth, is noted also for

its 1922 act for unemployment insurance; and for its 1924 act for training appren-

tices; also its arbitration acts as to employers and employees. In 1924 the
head of the Queensland government in his statement in the message by the

Viceroy said that the unemployment insurance system “is now accepted as one

of the most practical attempts made in Australia in recent years.”

. In brief, in Queensland the business interests are not the ruling power—there

is an equal-rights government, with new ideas in legislation and administra-

tion for the general welfare.

But the monopolization of the marketing of a product is not a necessary ele-
ment. The main thing is self-regulation in combination with government
supervision, to apply only to the extent that shall be found helpful. Our Repub-
lic is 80 vast in area that the monopolization of marketing of a product need not
apply Soaps as found to be desirable. Under national law the district will be
ob ll State, so as to apply in interstate commerce, as the basis of
hahions on ation; Zn State law will apply for state-wide regulation or for a