Evening star., 1921-04-10
FARMERS WILL ASK
OF CONGRESS RELIEF
Have Program Of Important Legislation
That They Wish to See Adopted.

10 attack. Some OF the measures ad-
vanced had a hearing in the last Con-
gress. For instance. the Capper CO.
operative marketing bill passed both
houses, but died in conference. Sena-
tor Capper of Kansas introduced his
anti-grain gambling bill. but no prog
NIT it again and press for action in
the new Congress. The pure fabrics
bill. sponsored by a number of sena-
tors and representatives, was the sub
ject Of extenA~e hearings before the
House 'inteI.Sate and foreign COM
merce comr'E7tee, but no action was
taken on it. .She packers bill. known
as the Kenyon-Kendrick bill, passed
the Senate but failed of action in the
House.
Aroused Over Freight Rates.
The farmers are much aroused by
the present high freight rates. Farm
ers in Kansas. for instance, say that
they cannot ship their hay to St.
Louis because it costs them as much
or more to pay for the freight as they
would get for the hay. aCttlemen in
Texas and other states are protest
ing. toss that their profits are taken
away when they ship live stock to
distar4 points. The producers Of ag-
ricultural products are particularly
hard hit by the long haul rates.
So the farmers are coming to Wash
ington with blood in their eye, to
take a fall out of the freight rates If
they can. They will demand that the
Congress repeal the provision of the
transportation act which they con-
slider a government guarantee, and
which authorizes the Interstate Com
uerce Commission to fix freight rates
that will enable the railroads to make
5 kto s per cent return on their in
vestment They regard this as the
reason rates are so high today. The
fac THAT the roads are not making
money even with the high rates in
existence, but are losing ground, they
deplore. But they are nevertheless
interested in getting the rates down
again.
The farmers also are aroused over
the fact that the Interstate Commerce
Commission. under the authority of
the transportation act. has interfered
with intrastate freight rates, increas-
ing many of them. They will demand
that the section Of the law granting
this power be repealed also.
Produce Sold for Less Than Cost.
The fact Of the matter is that the
farmers have found 1t necessary in
many instances during the last few
to sell their produce for less
than 1t cost them to produce 1t has
been a bitter experience. and they do
not wish to have it repeated. So they
are seeking in every way to bring
recurrence of these conditions. On
the other hand, reductions in the costs
Of various materials-some Of which
have already occurred and others of
which are On the way-will eventual
ly reduce the farmers production
costs. and opponents of the plan to
keep up the price Of food will advance
that argument in opposition to the
farmers plea
The farmers, or at least very many
Of them, are opposing the proposed
sales tax, under which tax would be |
paid every time an article was sold,
on the ground that it will take the |
burden of taxation from the shoulders
of wealth and place it on the shoul-
ders of the mass of the people. This,
by the way, will be the attitude of the
in Congress toward the
sales tax.
The farmers legislative program is
to be discussed at many meetings in
this week. Among the
organizations whose representatives
are gathering here for the confer
ences are the American Farm Bureau
Federation, the National Grange, the
National Board of Farm Organiza-
tions, the Farmers Union and the
American Live Stock Association. The
Farmers National Council has called
meeting and also the Peoples Re
construction League, to discuss these
matters. The organizations first will
hold meetings of their own and then
a. joint meeting, and finally will meet
with senators and representatives of
the agricultural states in Congress.
1t is hoped that program can be
adopted that all will support.