The Frontier
D. H. Cronin, Editor and Proprietor
Entered at the Postoffice at O’Neill,
Nebraska as Second Class Matter.
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WHAT THE CO-OPS HAVE DONE
In considering the farmers’ difficul
ties, one wonders how much worse
they might have been, so far as prices
and ma^eting conditions are con
cerned, had the institution of the co
operatives never been conceived.
The cooperatives have faced, with
courage and aggressivness, many
problems, many issues. Through them
farmers have struggled to keep to
gether in a ti^ne of discontent and un
certainty, and fo keep their energies
bent toward the desired end. They
have fought for’ permanent markets
and better prices at a time when
markets and prices for all kinds of
products, farm or factory, were crumb
ling. They have sought to build a
sound organization for the future
while meeting the exigencies of the
present.
The cooperatives have not done all
they hoped to do. But whatever just
ified hope the farmer has for a more
prosperous tomorrow may be laid to
them. They really have laid the
groundwork. They arc developing the
power that is essential if the pro
ducer is to ineet the buyer on a fair
and equal basis. And it is an in
escapable fact that, for the most part,
the market has been best for those
farm products which are handled thru
long established, loyally supported co
operatives. Prices haven’t been at a
point where the producer could show
a profit—but they have been a good
deal higher than they would otherwise
have been.
Yes, the cooperative movement is
making headway, in the face of odds.
It is succeeding. And if the farmers
of the country stick with it, work for
and with it, it will eventually achieve
, the degree of success it deserves.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
By Frank P. Litschert
Just how far thq present Congress,
and especially the Senate, which is
not bound by iron clad rules as is the
House, intends to go in conferring
dictorial powers on the President, will
probably be disclosed in the not-dis
tant future. Such powers were given
to Mr. Roosevelt in the matter of
budget balancing and reorganization
of the government, because it was
generally realized by Republicans and
Democrats alike that a crisis had
arisen and the job could be only done
by the chief execiftive. President
Hoover had sought the right to re
organize the government but was
blocked by a Democratic Congress.
But now we are told there is to be
another request for a grant of author
ity to the President by Congress, and
especially by the Senate. It was an
nounced the other day by the State
Department that congressional auth
ority would be sought by the President
before he started out on the more or
less long and winding road of nego
tiating trade treaties. The reason
for this was said to be that European
nations do not like the idea of making
negotiations with the executive arm
of our government when they know
that the agreement is apt to be upset
because the Senate fails to ratify it.
In this respect it was pointed out that
after President Wilson had gone to
France and taken part in the negotia
tion of the Treaty of Versailles and
the League of Nations, the Senate
refused to ratify the document and
afterward negotiated a separate treaty
with the defeated powers. The Europ
ean powers, it is said felt that they
had “bought a pig in a poke” because
the Senate refused to ratify what
President Wilson had agreed to.
It is true that European politicians
were very critical of this action of the
Senate for many years afterward, and
that they do not yet like our method
of negotiating international agree
ments. through the President with the
advice and consent of the Senate as
provided for by the Constitution. Bui
it must be remembered that at the
time of the Versailles negotiations
the powers of Europe had ample notice
. that the Senate, as representative ol
the American people was not in accord
with Mr. Wilson’s ideas of putting oui
country into the League of Nations. Sc
they really had no cause for complaint
The fact is that the European nations
conduct their treaties through repre
sentatives accredited to the govern
ment in power and the^people are nevei
consulted about the merits or defects
of tie treaties. Europe is unable
therefore to undestand our constitu
tional provision for the ratification by
the Senate, an independent arm of the
government, responsible, not to the
President, or the Secretary of State,
but to the American people.
The argument that the President is
always handicapped in treaty making
because the Senate is apt to upset the
pace will not hold water. There is
never any misapprehension, when the
negotiation of an international pact is
in prograss, as to how the American
Senate stands on the project. The
senators of all political parties at such
critical times do not hesitate to ex
press their opinion either at the White
House or on the floor of the Senate.
If the President takes the wishes of
the Senate, as representatives of the
people of the various states, into con
sideration—and there is no reason to
believe that Mr. Roosevelt would not
do so—then there need be no hesita
tion or embarrassment about foreign
negotiations as traditionally conducted.
The Senate has always been jealous
of its treaty control power and there
is no reason to believe that it will now
surrender any constitutional rights.
There will be no crisis like the bank
ing situation to be dealt with when
these international negotiations are
taken up, and there will be plenty of
time for discussion and consultation
with Congress. At any rate, this ultra,
modern tendency of clothing the chief
executive with dictorial powers will
receive a real test when the proposal
outlined above comes up in the Senate,
if it ever does come up.
LET EUROPE SETTLE IT
Columbus, Ohio, Dispatch: Nearly
every measure which will prevent an
outbreak of hostilities between major
powers is preferable to allowing mat
ters to drift so that conflict becomes
inevitable. The use of arms embargoes,
however is hardly a preventive, and at
best only a temporary palliative. Often
they involve nations that might not
otherwise become entangled and their
usage in the past, even in the recent
past, does not recommend their effec
tiveness in stopping international dis
putes.
The alarming spread recently of
rumors of danger in the historical sore
spots of Europe have frightened civ
ilians as well as diplomats. On sev
eral frontiers problems have arisen
that for the first time since the close
of the World War require immediate
settlement. The alternative seems to
be armed encounter. They are not the
type of spectre that is laid to rest by
mere threats of the arms embargo
tripe. They demand fundamental
treatment of the kind that insofar as
is possible will permanently eradicate
them.
The problems are essentially of
European nature, involving the ram
ifications brought about by the rapid
ly rising Facist middle Europe. The
questions at issue, therefore, should
be settled by Europe. American
opinion doubtless will be sought, but
should be carefully given as, ip the
main, history does not show that it
will be taken in the spirit offered and
it might prove ill-advised in the end
for the United States. If Europe is
aligning itself into two hostile camps,
as it has so frequently done in the
past, there is no reason for the United
States to decide yet which camp it will
favor, and antagonize other nations of
Europe by the embargo threat. The
issues are not clear enough to justify
such a course.
THE AMERICAN VILLAGE
Philadelphia Public Ledger: One
phase of the rural trend of population
which has been almost overlooked is
considered in a monograph on rural
social trends just published by former
President Hoover’s Committee on Soc
ial Trends. That phase is the steady
growth of the rural villages.
Not all the population drift out of
the cities has been to the farms. Amer
ica has a larger sector of citizens who
cannot be classed as city dwellers, nor
yet as farmers. They are those who
live in the small towns, the tradesmen,
the professional workers, the common
laborers. During the years from 1920
to 1930 when the strictly farming pop
ulation was rapidly losing ground, the
rural village population steadily gain
ed. In 1920 there were approximately
20.000. 000 Americans living in villages.
In 1930 this number had risen to 23,
600.000. Meanwhile, the farms 'had
lost only 1,300,000. So more than half
the gain in vjllage population came
from elsewhere than the surrounding
farms.
Since 1930 the upward trend of farm
population has more than made up the
losses during the 1920s. But the mi
gration has not all been to the farms.
The villages have continued to grow.
And today more than one-quarter of
the nation’s population lives neither
on the farms nor in the cities, but in
the villages, a point which cannot be
ignored in any social planning nor
even in any economic program for the
future. The American villages and
village life are major factors in any
national problem.
ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
There is a new attitude abroad in
the land. This began to be seen some
months ago, and came to culmination
with the bank holidays and their sub
sequent reopening. Where the aver
age citizen was once frankly dubious
as to the future of the contry, he now
believes that recovery is in the process
of starting—that bottom actually has
been reached, and that we are ready
for the up-climb. Partisan politics
has been forgotten. Practically un
animous support is being given the
Itoosevelt Administration by newspap
ers and individuals of all shades of
political opinion.
The Administration's stand on gold
hoarding is producing even better re
sults than were anticipated. When
the banks opened queues of people
stood in lines at tellers’ windows—not
to withdraw money, but to deposit
gold coin and certificates. Hundreds
of millions of dollars of gold has been
returned to circulation.
Under the present banking plan, no
bank can issue gold or gold certificates
without express permission from the
Treasury Department. However, gold
is coming out of hoarding so rapidly
that it is even forecast this stipulation
may be removed within a short time.
The President expects to have his
$500,000,000 economy drive actually in
operation by the end of March. Sav
ings are to be made as follows: $280,
000,000 from reduced veterans’ com
pensations; $120,000,000 in lowered
salaries; $100,000,000 thru govern
mental reorganization.
Economy is the first step toward a
balanced budget. Other aids, in the
President’s belief, will be about $125,
000,000 in new revenue from beer, and
$150,000,000 from a renewal of the
federal gasoline tax.
The number of men who will be put
to work by legalized beer and the
amount of taxes accruing to the gov
ernment, are moot, much-debated sub
jects. Even taking the lowest figures,
a considerable amount of employment
and taxation will be provided. One
question is, what influence will legal
beer have on home brewing? It is
certain that if beer were overtaxed,
and a price of fifteen cents or so a
glass made necessary, sales would be
small. Under the Administration bill,
it is forecast that beer will be sold at
its old price of five cents a glass, fif
teen cents a bottle—unless, of course;
states and municipalities overtax it on
tljeir own account.
Salient features of President Roose
velt’s unemployment program are: A
$500,000,000 unemployment relief ap
propriation to be used in internal im
provements and the establishment of
camps for the unemployed engaged on
government work; expansion of the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation
to permit loans at lower interest; re
forestation of marginal lands in the
Tennessee Valley and elsewhere, etc.
It was expected that prices—secur
ity, particularly—would rise at the
end of the bank moratorium, because
of renewed confidence and new money
in circulation. Prices did—and, to the
surprise of some, are apparently hold
ing to their new levels, an extremely
encouraging sign.
Commodity prices also showed a
general disposition to rise. It is dif
ficult to present a survey of business
conditions in general, because of the
brief time that has elapsed since the
holidays, and the fact that a period
must pass before improvement, even
if started, is reflected in business sta
tistics.
Late reports on major industries
show:
Steel—Good resistance to backing
crisis demonstrated. Operations have
been downward, but not so intense
ly as was feared.
Automobile—Much optimism felt. It
is believed that the growing public
desire to convert money into goods
will be a boom to the industry. Sales
strong before moratorium—reports
since too incomplete to be reliable.
Oil—Conditions still chaotic, due to ex
cess of production over consumption,
prices at low levels. Stronger
measures of control over production
in major producing areas anticip
ated.
Copper—Production in 1932 was 240,
000 tons, consumption 300,000 tons.
This is indicative of the position of
the industry now. Production has
been regulated to demand; prin
cipal problem is surplus stocks on
hand which at end of last year total
ed 650,000 tons.
Retail Trade—Sharp improvement oc
curred recently, and sentiment more
hopeful than for some time past.
Prices for Farm Products have
strengthened, in accord with the gen
eral trend.
A NEW FARM All) BILL.
The so called administration farm
aid bill has been forced through the
house of representatives with little de
bate and no amendments. It now
goes to the senate where it is not so
certain that it will have easy sailing.
The debate in the senate is expected to
furnish one of the first faint signs
that President Roosevelt’s politic^
honeymoon is coming to an end.
Just what the proposed farm aid
bill will do when put into practice, no
body seems to know. Even some of
its sponsors are not sure about it.
President Roosevelt himself has char
acterized the bill as an experiment in
the field of agricultural relief. The
democratic chairman of the house ag
ricultural committee refused to spon
sor the bill and it had to be turned
over to the next statesman in line on
the committee.
As Oliver McKee, Jr., stated recent
ly in the Boston Transcript, ‘‘seldom
has a bill with fewer real supporters
been laid before Congress yet with a
better chance of going through that
body than the Roosevelt farm bill.
Frankly experimental, the measure
will nevertheless commit the federal
government to a policy that may prove
expensive to the consumers and very
difficult to abandon.”
The purpose of the bill as described
by Secretary Wallace is to increase
the purchasing power of the farmers.
The method is that of restoring the
balance between production and con
sumption as quickly as possible. In
terms of price, the goal is pre-war
parity between the things the farmer
sells, and the things the farmer buys.
To reach that goal, the bill confers
upon the Secretary of Agriculture for
one year, the following powers:
First, through with the farmers,
to obtain a voluntary reduction, pro
ducers will be compensated by means
of rental or benefit payments.
Second, to enter into marketing ag
reements with producers, marketing
agencies and processors of farm pro
ducts.
Third, to license processors and dis
tributing agencies that handle agri
cultural products in interstate or for
eign commerce, if licensing proves
necessary to achieve the aims of the
bill.
Fourth, to use the Smith cotton op
tion plan on the 1933 cotton crop.
Fifth, to impose taxes on the pro
cessing of the basic farm products.
,The amount of this tax, Wallace de
clares, cannot be greater than that re
quired to bring the market price up
to the pre-war price.
Just what the results of the bill will
be if enacted into law as it passed
the House, remains to be seen. Cer
tainly a great many students of econ
omics, inside Congress and out, view
it as entirely impractical and one
which will be burdensome to the con
sumers and expensive to the taxpay
ers. Some of the farm leaders them
selves are not sure of its results.
If the Roosevelt leaders can by this
or some other magic pull the farmers
of the country out of the depression
they will deserve a vote of thanks from
the entire nation. They are, however,
taking a long chance. For if the bill
is enacted into law and should cause
an increase in the cost of living, as it
seems bound to do, without any bene
fit to the farmers themselves, the
political effects will be disastrous to
the Democrats in the congressional
elections next year.
Since the government embargo was
placed on gold on March 4, 1933, the
sum of five hundred and three million
dollar has been turned into the fed
eral reserve banks of the country.
SAFEGUARDS.
Indianapolis News: Seme one in
Cleveland is urging safeguards for the
investor, while Chicago lawyers are
interested in safeguards for promotors
A SCOTT BUDGETEER.
Cincinnati Times-Star: An Ari
zona Scotchman named Douglas will
be the next director of the budget;that
ought to mean something.
TOO BAD IT CAN’T BE DONE.
Detroit Free Press: If it is true
that Congress costs the country $125,
000 a day when it is in session, we
know a way it could help balance the
budget.
NOTHING OUT OF THE WAY.
Indianapolis News: A Kansas sen
ator complained that gunmen had been
seen about his home, but after he has
been in Washington long enough he
will realize that they may have been
only law-abiding bootleggers.
Visitor—I understand that you peo
ple raise a lot of young chicks in an
incubator ?
Poultryman—Oh, yes, lots of ’em.
Visitor—But don’t you think that
is cruelty to animals? How would
you like to call a wooden box mother?
—Pathfinder.
CHURCH NOTES
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Sunday School 10:00 Mr. Sauers,
Superintendent.
Morning Worship 11:00—“Fleeting
Shadows.”
Young People’s C. E. 6:45.
Evening Service 7:30—“Investing
Life.”
We were glad to see the fine attend
ance last Sunday. If you were absent
try to be with us next Sunday. We
expect to have our male chorus to
sing. There will be other musical
numbers.
H. D. Johnson, Pastor.
SUNDAY SCHOOL NOTES
The Veteran general missionary of
the American Sunday School Union,
Rev. E. E. Dillon of York, Nebr., has
been placed on the Retirement List by
his society after a service extending
over thiry years.
Mr. Harry E. Udd, missionary for ^
the past five years at McCook, Nebr.,
has been appoined to succeed Rev. Dil
lon and will make his headquarters
at Grand Island. We bespeak for Mr.
Udd a warm reception when calling
upon our many interested friends in
Sunday School Work.
S. Hallgrimson, Missionary.
Saturday’s
SPECIAL
Glaced
Doughnuts
20c
a dozen
Bakery Goods
FRESH
Every Morning
at the
TILDEN
BAKE SHOP
Located in the
NAYLOR BUILDING
Rejoice! You’ve never
seen such Easter
COATS
i
Join the big parade with a Penney,
coat this Easter! They’re the leading
'.value of them alll
Swagger for sport .v, demure for j
dress! In polo types, tweeds and
dressy woolens! With the fascinating
neck and sleeve treatments that mark
them wholly 19331
■ • .• J ‘ r' *' "■ ) V;
^ H - ■''5 ■
O’NEILL, NEBRASKA *1 M' • £
^. .. . , - . - „ . ' .
