The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1918-06-07

Washington, d. c., June 6.--That
lawyers predominant in congress as
they do in all the state legislatures
is shown by recent statistics gath
cred from their own declarations in
the congressional record. The Unit
ed States entrusts it's lawmaking to
458 attorneys and l69 men in other
professions, nine of whom are far
mers. There are four men from the
labor group, making total of 1S
men who speak as actual producers
in the halls of congress. The SEN
ate has rs lawyers and 20 other
persons; the house 1872 lawyers and
149 men in other professions.
Farmers and wage-workers COM
prise two-thirds of the voters of
the United States; lawyers some
thing like 1 per cent, so the farmers
and wage-workers stand to the law
yers in a ratio of about 81 to 1.
FOUR LAWYERS
ABOUT RIGHT
A congress based on proportional,
occupational representation would
contain in the lower house 145 far
mers and Las laborers, with Al men
from the medical, teaching and
other groups, and just four lawyers.
Of course the lawyers in congress
claim to represent all of the people,
but the special fayors given to that
profession and the fact that no seri-
Gus proposals for simplifying and
chaapening legal proceedings are
made, shows that each group will
look out for itself before looking
out for the other fellow.
Years ago there was an idea
abroad that lawyers could best. look
after the framing of laws because
of their legal training. That idea
has been exploded. Congress, some
years ago, recognizing the need of
technical help for all lawmakers, es-
tablished bureau for law drafting
in connection with the Library Of
Congress.
Experts in the drawing up of bills
and laws and resolutions are in
charge of this bureau. All that a
lawmaker needs now is to have
ideas. The experts do the work for
him. The member presents to the
bureau the matter that he wants
incorporated in a bill and the clerks
look up the material for him in the
library, find out what bills have
been passed by other legislative
bodies on the same subject and
draw up one for him that win be
technically correct.
MORE FARMERS
ARE NEEDED
1t is evident to anyone who has
watched the course of legislation in
the past few years that the farmers
need more actual members from
their own ranks to take the place
of a multitude of their friends"
and the laboring men should be rep
resented in the same manner. This
fact was brought out in the fight
for the Farm Loan law, the ship
ping act and the seamen's act
three Of the constructive pieces of
legislation that marked the past
four years. Instead Of sending del
egates to beg and plead and lobby
for these measures, the farmers and
the laborers might as well have sent
members of their own professions
to congress and obtained those and
other progressive measures without
any more effort.
Lynn Haines, editor of the
"Searchlight on Congress-, has
compiled set of figures on the
occupations of the members of the
house and senate. He has come to
the conclusion that there is some
conne ction between the fact that q
large majority of members of con-
gress are of no use to their con-
stituents, and the fact that the far
mers and workingnren have turned
over to lawyers the whole business
of lawmaking.
HOW LAWYERS
PREDOMINANT
Alabama has in the house solid
block of ten lawyers; in the senate
she has a lawyer and planter.
Arizona has a business man in the
house and two lawyers in the sem
ate. Arkansas has a solid delega-
ton of lawyers in the house and
senate. California is more nearly
reasonable; with one Of the most