The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-06

washington, d. T.. July "a CeI-
mite program of legislation design
ed to help the farmers, with an
oganized agricultural bloc or party
in each house of congress backing
it. and a million organized farmers
clamoring for its passage, is one OF
the most unusual features OF the
present congress.
The tendency of the two parties
to break up into small groups in
congress, each representing some
definite economic interest, has been
described in a previous Haskin let
ter. The old parties are tending to
lose. their meaning. You may know
that a man was elected on the DEM
ocratic ticket without having a
clear idea where he stands on any
thing. But if man comes out as a
representative of the farmers, OF
union labor, or of the manufactur-
ers, you know at once where he
stands.
So far. the farmers seem to have
made most progress in this open.
organized method. They have made
known their views on taxation, the
tariff, immigration, and other major
measures, and have in addition pro-
cured the instroduction of a long
list of bills designed especially to
favor farmers. Following partial
summary of the measures the farm
ers are supporting in congress was
obtained from the office of the
American Farm Bureau federation,
which claims to represent over a
million farmers.
A resolution has been passed ap-
pointing a committee to investigate
agriculture and to inquire into the
cause of its present status. Ac-
cording to Congressman Sydney
Anderson of Minnesota, the chair
man of the committee, the whole
scope of the inquiry can be COM
pressed into the question: What
is the matter with the economic sys-
TEN of the country, if anything,
with special reference to the SER
vice which it does and ought to af-
ford to agriculture ?''
About twenty-five senators and
an equal number of representatives
blocs to discuss agricultural legis-
lation and to try to promote the ad-
vancement of various bills which
have been drafted to relieve the
economic pressure on agriculture.
These members of congress have
the viewpoint that agriculture is
fundamental and that it must be
made prosperous if the wheels of
industry are to turn freely. These
blocs meet separately and usually
in executive session, when plans
are laid for action
Road Bills.
The American Farm Bureau fed
GRAFTON is working very closely with
both bi0cs and it is confident a
number of other bills will become
laws before the closing of this ses-
sion.
The federation has been making
a strenuous fight against the Town
send highway bill and for the Dow
ell bill. 1t contends that the Town
send bill will provide for the con-
struction of a few highways or
trunk lines across the country and
eliminate cooperation between
states and federal government in
road construction resulting in heavy
overhead expense with the appoint
ment of three commissioners. The
Dowell bill. which is now called the
Phipps-Dowell bill, more closely
approaches the farmers desire
farm-to-market roads. 1t would
continue cooperation between the
federal government and the states.
The law would be administered by
the department of agriculture as at
present, and would establish a def
mite road-construction policy. AS
the two bills now stand they likely
will be referred eventually to the
Townsend senate committee on
highways where some compromise
between the two bills probably will
have to be made in order to pass
one of them.
After more than two years of in
termittent testimony and discus
sion of packer legislation, two bills
to control the packing business and
livestock yards have reached a point
where one is likely to become a
law. This bill provides for the reg
ulation of the meat packers by the
secretary of agriculture, for a uni
form system of accounting and pub
licity concerning costs, and ap-
plies the Sherman act to the pack
ing industry and commission men.
Two bills which would improve
the federal farm loan system have
shown fair progress and it is pre-
dicted by those who are watching
legislation closely that they will be
passed this session. One bill pro-
vides $50 ,0G0 600 working capital in
the treasury department, which the
federal farm loan board may draw
against pending the sale of a large
block of bonds. The claim was
made that it was impracticable to
keep federal farm loan bonds on
the market continuously and that
q larger issue should be sold
promptly.