The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 6, 1916, Page 4

FOUR Washington, Jan. 4.—It will be wheat against corn in a legislative battle which started today to repeal the mixed flour law. The repealing bill was dropped into the House hop- per this morning by Representative Henry T. Rainey of Illinois. Rainey represents a corn-growing constit- uency and his bill will be backed solidly by the congressmen from the corn belt. It will be opposed unani- mously by the members from the wheat States. Wheat - Againzst Corn The mixed flour, or pure flour, law has proven since its adoption in 1898- to be one of the greatest protections. to the wheat grower ever afforded them by congress. The law was pass- ed partly as a war. revenue measure and partly as a pure food measure. urged by the department of Agricul- ture. Previous to 1898 the practice of mixing corn flour with wheat flour and selling the mixture as wheat flour had, become a great evil in the flour trade. The practice injured the wheat growers by reducing the market for wheat and thus depressing the price. The pure flour law, which is about 4,000 words long, contains the follow- - ing impertant provisions: ‘Makers and packers of mixed flour —that is flour purporting to be made solely of wheat but which in reality contains a considerable admixture of the flour of other grains, usually corn, must pay an occupation tax of $12 annually; Containers of mixed flour cannot be used a second time for that pur- pose; Taxes on Mixed Flour The following taxes are imposed on mixed flour: 4 cents on packages over 98 pounds in weight, 2 cents on packages more than 49 ppunds in weight, 1 cent on packages more than 241 pounds in weight, and 1% cent on packages of smaller weights. Each package must be branded “Mixed Flour” in 2-inch black letters, and other labeling must give com- plete information about the product in each package. This law has effectually prevented mixed flour from. becoming a com- petitor of pure wheat flour. The attemrt to repeal the law is purely #n effort to benefit corn growers at the expense of those who raise wheat. In the rush of winding up the af- fairs of the Sixty-third congress last March, this same repealing bill was nearly adopted. It has been introduc- ed, by Representative Rainey in the House, and a similar bill was offered in the senate. The argument for the bill was that it would reduce the price of ‘“a.wholesome mixture of wheat and corn flour” and thus re- duce the cost of living. The Bill must Be Defeated The bill was put through the senate quietly and every effort was made to force it through the house during the closing days of the sesion before the wheat producers and flour consumers should awake to the danger. . Representative Young of North Da- kota is urging wheat growers every-: where to- write personal letters to congressmen urging the defeat of the Rainey bill. “It means millions of dollars to Daketa farmers,” he says, “and, mil- lions upon millions to flour consumers throughout ‘the nation. A repeal of the mixed flour law would result in placing on the market large quantia ties of flour at a cost below the cost, of pure wheat flour.” ’ 2 3 Farm Women’s Bureau .+ Washington, D: C., Jap,1.—I£ this <congress, like .some -others. we have known, sends.the farmer on his ‘way with nothing but a kind word and a swift kick, the fault will not lie with various ingenious members. that are displaying rare inventive gifts in pre- paring for the attention of their fel- lows an astonishing number of meas- ares in the farmer’s behalf. .demonstrations, lantern THE NONPARTISAN LEADER North Dakota at the National Capital Bv WILLIS J. Some of these bills already in the hopper are of a very unusual chaxf- acter. Representative Keating of Colorado for instance has one, (H. R. 654) that presents a phase of farm legislation entilely new to this jaded center of government. The object is to create in the de- rartment of agriculture what is ‘to be know as a farm women’s bureau, the purposes of whose activities will be to investigate, report upon and ad- vige eoncerning all problems relating to the rural homes of the United States. To, this end, state and federal gov- ernments, state agricultural colleges and organizations of farmers’ wives are to help. For instance, the bureau is to plan the sanitation and hygiene of rural homes, collect and give out inform- ation about the care of babies, pro- vide lectures programs, laboratory slides and- circulating libraries. It is to help to form social centers in rural dis- ‘tricts and to institute home courses of study for farm women. It is also to provide them with information about. the scientific preparation of food, food values, food costs and farm house economy. % One of the features of the plan that ought to be regarded with rap- ture everywhere is that it proposes to tackle the problem of female help on the farm. Mr. Keating wants an appropria- tion of $200,000 to estblish this bur- eau and come millions of women, if they knew about it, would pray for his success. Rural Credits Commission Reryresentative Caraway of Arkan- sas has a bill (H. R. 595) to deal with the problem of farm loans by establishing a rural credit commis- sion, similar to the interstate com- merce commission. There are to be five members chosen by the presi- dent and they are to conduct the business of lending government funds on farm security. All gpost- masters are to be made agents of the commission. When a farmer wants a loan he is to apply to the local postmaster. The postmaster ap- roints two committees of three mem- bers each, one being of local farm- ers and the other of local business men. These pass upon the value of the applicant’s land and the advis- ability of lending money upon it. If they approve, the application, goes to the commission, a mortgage note is prepared for the amount de- sired, and is offered for sale at what- ever rate of interest can be had for it in the securities market—which means Wall street. “Mr. Carraway thinks this is a grand measure. He is entitled to an- other think. - Farm Credit Bureau ‘Representative Norton of North Dakota "has a .more elaborate plan. His bill “(H. R. 391) establishes a farm credit bureau in the depart- ment of agriculture to be under a com- missioner appointed by the president and having a salary of $8,000 a year. The commissioner organizes his of- fice. and, appoints appraisers. Loans are to be made on farm first mort- gages direct to farmers or through the agency of farm credit associa- tions. Besides the farm credit bur- eau there is to be a farm credit beard, consisting of the secretary of the treasury, secretary of - agricul- ture, the postmaster general and two farmers. Applications for loans are to. be made to the commissioner of the bureau. The secretary of the treasury, under the direction of the bord, is to issue 314 per cent bonds of the United States and the money secured from the sale of these bonds is to be lent to farmers or farm cred- it associations at a rate just suffic ycient to pay the interest on the RUTLEDGE bonds and the expenses of making the loans. After the first year the board can reduce the interest on the bonds it issues and on the loans it makes. Loans are to be made on farm first mortgages, limited to 60 per cent of .the value of the land and postmasters are to be employed as agents of the bureau. Leaves Qut the Bamis Among the interesting features of this bill may be noted the fact that it restricts its benefits to per- sons “ of good moral character,” who establish to the satisfaction of the bureau. that they are honest and bear a good reputation in the neighbor- hood where they reside. Also, loans are to be made only to actual resi- dents or those building houses that they may become such. And prefer- ence is given to farm credit associa- tions. This is a pretty good, bill and worth looking into. But the grave dug for it in the present house already yawns. It doesn’t bring in the sacred banks. They don’t get a hack at anything. Representative McKellar of Tennes- see (H. R, 240) has a bill somewhat similar to Mr. Norton’s. Loan Direct to Farmers The bill of Representative Ferris of Okiahoma, (H. R. 404) authorizes the secretary of the treasury to lend money directly “to bona fide tillers of the soil” on cotton warehouse re- ceipts and first mortgages on improv- ed farms. The secretary of the treasury is to create the necessary machinery to carry on this wark and penalties are provided for overstat- ing the value of the property involv- ed, on which loans can be made up to one-half the actual value. An ap- propriation of $1,000,000 is asked to carry out the act. As it also shuts out the banks, its death will be ‘early adn without pain. The bill of Representative Smith { (H. R. 263} of Idaho puts the whole |B into the subject of ru}'al credits hands of the postmaster general, who is to use the postal savings funds for This is something like |§ the purpose. the idea of Senator Gronna. Banks Get Their Share Representative Steagall of Alabama |§ has a bill (H. R. 398) that creates a |E rural credits bureau with a board of directors of which the secretary of || the treasury is to be the president and, the secretary of agriculture the vice president. The country is to be divided into districts, each in charge These branches | & of a branch bureau. are to receive and pass upon applica- tions for loans, which are to be for- warded to the central bureau. The bureau draws a check on a federal re- | & serve bank for the amount desired |& and the applicant surrenders a mort- gage covering his property, loans up on it being limited to 60 per cent of Only actual tillers of the soil can have the benefits of this act, | @ their | § share of plunder, is regarded as a fine |} piece of legislation and likely to pass. | Representative Adamson of Georgia also knows well enough what’s what His bill (H. R. 206) puts rural credits exclu- sively into the hands of the federal its value. which, as it gives the banks in Washington these days. -regerve banks and provides that the can sell their farm mortgages in Wall{} street. That, you wil observe, is the good old stuff. It keeps one hand o 5] 8 the money trust on the farmer’s gul- in the farmer's{& pocket, and there isn’t anything bet~ ter than that. il let and the other Gasoline May Go Up Again Representative Aiken of South Caro- lina: (H. R. 52) is another member |} that is aware of his job and knows | how to keep it. He wants the farm to be carried on by the national banks, the United States |§ treasury to advance the money to the banks at 814 per cent and the banks to lend it to the farmers at 5 and 7 per cont. (I should think. oy ————— loan business this was the peachey gem of the col- lection and ought to cause so much joy at the corner of Broad and Wall and at 26 Broadway that maybe the price of gaseline will go up again. If you are interested in any of these bills your congressman can get you copies or the Leader’s Wash- ington bureau will furnish them. SHIP US YOUR Established Since 1867. |D. Bergman & Co., Saint Paul, Minnesota Deal Direct and House in the Weat. 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