The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, September 19, 1921, Page 4

-—— returns, what is going to happen? Has the Republican party de- cided to let the government become insolvent, by reducing taxes while expenditures are increasing—by not levying enough taxes to meet government bills? Not at all. Promises fo the small tax- payer for a reduction in taxes having been “carried out” by in-- creasing the exemptions under the income tax, and promises to profiteers and wealthy people having been carried out by repeal of the excess profits tax and halving of the tax on big incomes, con- gress will proceed to get all this money back, and more too, chiefly through the tariff. The new, high protective tariff will fatten gov- ernment revenues so that Uncle Sam will get enough cash to re- main solvent. But, good friends, what does this high tariff mean? _It means that manufacturers will be able to keep up prices that long since should have come down, or actually to increase prices to the public. It will enable them to do that because, under the new tariff layv, they will not have to compete with foreign goods. And so you mll pay, in higher prices for the things you must buy, a tax that will wipe out the saving you will make in the reduction of your direct income tax. The tariff tax you will pay will be indirect, and the Republicans think you won’t notice it. Hence you will hurrah loudly for Republican candidates at the ; next election and the same bunch will go back to exploit you further. Are you going to fall for it, or are you going to write your congressman today and tell him “Hard Times” and Your Organization EPORTS of field organizers of the Nonpartisan league show a situ- ation among the farmers that should be understood by every one of you. The Leader, as always, believes it is best policy to be “but”— The “buts” are to the effect that other nations must agree lo disarm first, that this or that detail or question must be settled first, ete:, etc. The conference can not succeed if the United States goes into it any other way than with the whole-hearted desire to meet other nations more than half way. : CONGRESS and the Republican administration are continuing their dishonest, back-stairs intrigues against the federal . . trade commission. They do not dare actually abolish the commission, or even pass open and above-board legislation te cur- ..,’lt)ail its powers. Instead they are crippling it by jokers in various - ills. The commission should logically have had the power. to en- force the grain exchange regulation bill.- Instead, Hit Trade that authority was given to cabinet officers who are Board b expected to be more friendly to the exchanges than oard by _ the commission would have been. A provision of the - Stealth bill is even believed by some lawyers to prevent the - commission having access to the reports, books and accounts of the exchanges. The trade commission has shown a fearlessness and desire to protect the people seldom equaled by a government bureau. Es- pecially in relation to the grain cxchanges has it gotten at the facts and made public reports that have been invaluable to those seeking to reform the mar- keting system. The trade com- mission’s investigation of and you understand the Republican game and won’t stand for it? 4 I \HE Woman’s Committee on World Disarmament, in a statement printed on the woman’s page of this issue, makes a strong plea for full pub- licity concerning the sessions of the World diiar- . mament confer- g{oni;ei? n:, i ence called by us 0 President Hard- Be Secret ing to meet soon in the mnational capital. The women also point out that the conference can be hung up and made ineffective if disarmament is not considered singly and on its merits, but is confused with discussions and decisions regarding Pacific ocean and far-east problems which the conference will also take up. Too much stress can not be put on these two points. As we said before, there is little hope for results that will lighten the tax burden of the world and de- stroy the prospect of future wars if diplomats are allowed to log-roll and wire-pull behind closed doors, as they will do if the sessions of the delegates are not open to the public. The most hardened diplomats, with zeal for nationalistic ascendency and for selfish advantages for their own countries, will not ig- perfectly frank in regard to matters of this kind. Practically every one of the hundreds of reports received weekly by headquarters of the League is to the following effect: League members feel the same as they always have toward their organization. They believe in its program. They look upon it as the most effective farm organization in the country, and upon the fight it is making in their behalf as the most important thing being done for agri- culture today. : Farmers who have never been Leaguers are being aroused and are inclined to be more friendly toward the League than they ever have be- fore, due to present bad farm conditions. . But in spite of these favorable indications, quite a few organizers report that hard times are causing some farmers to take the position that they can not afford to pay League dues this fall and winter—that they will wait till later, till times pick up, before renewing their member- ship or joining. It is concerning the danger to your organization that this attitude foreshadows that the Leader wants to warn you. The Leader knows how the business depression has hit farmers. The only hope of the farmer will be through organized pressure brought on congress this fall and winter, and through the menace that such an organization as the League can be to the powers-that-be dgfing the political campaigns next year. Your dues in the League and your subscription to the Leader ought to be the LAST thing on which to “economize.” Remember that, if hard times have hit you, they have hit the League and League publications equally hard. The League and Leader must pay cash as they go. We can not get credit, and unless your membership and subscription are kept up we can not hold out. The tendency to withhold League dues is NOT YET widespread, but if it BECOMES WIDE- 3 SPREAD your organization and publications will have to quit. And it is up to you individually to prevent that. The time was never riper to interest new thousands of farmers in. your organization and your fight for justice. These hard times are open- ing the eyes of all farmers, even those hitherto hostile to your organiza- tion. But if 'you, who have already seen the light, don’t stick now and keep- your institution going, we can not take advantage of the favorable situation to get those new members in. . Let every man do his duty. Let us make the country ring with our demands for relief and reform, and prepare now to win the political cam- paigns next year in as many states as possible. report on the exchanges last year was real effective work, and its more recent report on termi- nal elevator speculation and profiteering was equally valu- able. It is obvious why the ex- changes did not want the com- - mission to be the body to en- -force the recent exchange regu- -latory laws, and it is not strange that the Republican administra- tion and congressional “leaders agreed with the exchanges on the proposition. : -~ Nearly every bill which has passed congress recently, pro-- viding regulatory laws affecting business or calling for investiga- ~tions, has either ignored the trade commission or actually contained provisions barring the commission from having a hand in the matter. In addition it is said that administration leaders are working on the quiet to crys- talize sentiment for a bill, to be introduced soon, providing that the commission, instead of being an independent body responsible only to the president, be placed in a subservient posijtion under one of the cabinet officers, prob- ably Hoover, whose friendliness to the grain exchanges and big business generally is well known. One of the big business criticisms of the Democrats most often heard during the last cam- paign was to the effect that the nore the demand for peace and for lightening of taxation through reduction of armaments, if compelled to take their stand publicly before the eyes of all the world. But if they ecan maneuver and camouflage in secret—if they can put obstacles in the way of suc- cess of the conference without the peoples of the world knowing whom to blame—they will do it as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow. Publicity for the deliberations will protect. the world from success- ful secret scheming. s As to the other proposition—that of discussing Pacific ocean and far-east problems at the same conference—that was injected into the matter-by President Harding. It was not contemplated by the Borah resolution, under which the conference was called. Were these extra questions brought in solely to confuse the conference? Can they be used by scheming diplomats to confuse the conference ? The result will tell. Meanwhile as much pressure as possible should be brought to force open sessions and to prevent other matters tying up the proposed disarmament program. 7, The president’s injection of other issues into the disarmament ~ conference is not the only indication that the Republicans are not anxious for the success of the move and will raise obstacles that may cause a failure. The recent statements of the president and other Republican leaders have not been calculated to make for the success of-the conference. They say they are for disarmement, Wilson administration had used its powers to “interfere with busi- ness.” This had particular reference to the trade commission’s work. It was considered “interfering with business” for the com- mission to detect and report profiteering and monopoly and evil business practices. Big business supported Harding on the assump- tion that this “interfering with business” would be ended under him, and it is probably to be expected that these campaign promises, actual or implied, will now be carried out. But if they are carried out, it should be by honest, above-board legislation-abolishing the commission or frankly curtailing its powers, not by dirty back- stairs work. But the trouble is that congress knows how the people feel about the federal trade commission and therefore does not dare proceed in the open. A S OUR news from North Dakota in this issue shows, even the bitter anti-Nonpartisan league press is turning against the recall move of the I. V. A. If the I. V. A. recall petitions are actually filed, there is every prospect of another sweeping farmer victory in November. But nevertheless the farmers of the pioneer League state have a hard fight on their hands. They need the moral and financial support of every Leaguer and progressive everywhere: Those wanting to send canipaign contributions should address their letters to League state headquarters, Fargo. - _PAGE FOUR . SRR SR B L L SR