Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1920 — HARDING ON WHEAT PRICES [ARTICLE]

HARDING ON WHEAT PRICES

To the Editor of the News: Sir —I have observed a leaflet In circulation that refers to an alleged debate In the United States senate on July lS.and July 21, 1917, citing pages 5269 and 5350 of the Congressional Record, wherein Senator Harding is quoted as saying that a farmer could afford to raise wheat at $1 a bushel, and that he opposed “licensing” farmers to charge high prices for their products. Kindly refer to the Record at the pages and dates above and publish for the benefit of your readers, just what Sefiator Harding said at that time, and under what stress of circumstances he made the declaration attributed to him. HENRY B. ALLEN, R. F. D. No. 3, Sharpsville, Ind.

An editorial In the Morning WorldHerald of Omaha, published Sept. 14, answers Mr. Allen’s question. The editorial entitled "Harding and the Farmer” follows: A farmer reader wants to know if it true that Senator Harding spoke in favor of "dollar wheat” during the war, and also how be voted on food control and price fixing. On July 10, IS 17, after the United States had been nearly four months in the war, Senator Harding said in a senate speech: “I know a little something about farming. I have followed the cradle, senators, With a rake, when wheat was sold for 40 cents a bushel. That was in the day • when farming was something of a contest for subsistence. In this latter day, farming has become an occupation for profit; and I happen to know that under normal conditions, |1 wheat makes a very profitable occupation, perhaps not to the farmer who farms the farmers!, but It is to the farmer who farms a farm.” On the next day, July 20, discussing the proposal to fix the price of wheat at $2.26 a bushel, Senator Harding said: "I share the anxiety to strike at greed. I should like to strike at the greed for power. I would be agreeable to strike at the manifest greed in some of the agricultural sections of the United States. “I do not think it (12.20 wheat! will bring about the desired result,

but If the qualities of American patriotism are such that we must guarantee the American farmer a price for his wheat in the face of a world famine, then there is not patriotism enough in the country to win the war.” The record shows that Senator Harding voted for 'the food control act which permitted the fixing of prices on farm products. He failed to vote on an amendment to include petroleum and its fuel products. He voted against an amendment to include ore and its products, farm implements, farm tools, hemp and binding twine. This amendment was offered by Senator Kenyon of lowa, a progressive Republican. Senator Harding also voted against an amendment offered by Senator Newlands, a progressive Democrat, to include iron, steel, copper and aluminum. He opposed the Cummings amendment prohibiting the importation of alcoholic beverages and the withdrawal of bonded distilled spirits during the war.—lndianapolis News (Rep).