Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-07-13
CONGRESS DELAYS AND THE FARMER
SUFFERS

Strenuous efforts are being made by admins
tration senators to bring about the final passage
of the food control bill this week that the
prohibition section has been disposed of by adop-
ton but almost the strenuous efforts have
been made by the administration, by personal
appeals from the president and by the Overwhelm-
ing demand of the country ever since America
became involved in the war three months ago, and
still the senate balks and talks and haggles-and
the farmer holds the sack.
And the very thing that President Wilson and
his cabinet sought to avoid, the Cutting of local
markets with products grown in larger measure
this year as the result Of the nationwide cam.
paign for more crops is beginning to happen.
Down in California potatoes and onions are rot
ting in the ground, press dispatches tell us, be-
cause prices there will not pay the farmer for
marketing them, while up here in the Northwest
and in other states where crops mature later such
vegetables are commanding the same high prices
as they did during the shortage last winter. And
the Spectator is grabbing off the difference
That would not be the situation today if the
United States senate had needed the urgent
appeal of President Wilson to enact the food con-
troll bill by July l, an appeal made after two
months and more of earnest effort to get that
much needed legislation through congress Here
it is the middle Of July and the senate is still
sshoping to get vote by Saturday night" as it
has been hoping" for the past month, while the
summer crops are coming on swiftly, the presi-
dents hands are tied, Hoover, the national food
administrator, is showed to one side and no means
are at hand to facilitate the country's greatest
need, distribution Of food products and stabiliza-
tion Of prices.
Il is situation that could not have been
thought possible three months ago, when the first
act Of the administration, following the presenta
ton Of the Liberty Loan and selective conscrip-
ton bills, was to propose to congress food con-
troll t<ll patterned after those which every Euro
pesn belligerent had found necessary and to urge
its prompt passage SO that America, while feed
ing itself reasonably, could fulfill its duty to the
\ Allies by fully supplying the food shortage that
confronfs them Now we are fast reaching a
point where it may be impossible for us to per
form the task expected Of us, task far more i'm
portant than sending an army to Europe because
it concerns each one of us at home well as our
friends abroad.
The entire blame rests upon congress- particu
larly upon the United States senate which mas
been haggling the bill for three four weeks
now and appears virtually as far from enacting it
as when the haggling started These delaying
tactics for which the Democrats more respon
sible than anybody else, provoke country that
has been patiently waiting for action while food
prices have ruled unreasonably high, and give
rise to popular belief that there was something
more than sarcasm in "Pitchfork" Ben Tillman s
recent remark: II wish didn't have suspicion
that some men were practicing law in the United
State senate"