The New York herald., 1921-09-19
ASSAILS POLITICAL
BLOCS OF FARMERS
Representative Anderson Says
All Legislation Must BE in
Interest of the Public.
REFERS TO GOV. MILIER
Politics and Economic Organi.
zations Will Not Mix, De-
clarcS MinncsOtan.
Special DcsD1teh to THE NEw YORK IissALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington. ID. c.. Sent. II.

srecial DosDa,eh to THE Nrw YORK IissArD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington. ID. c.. Sent. IN.
Opposition to political organization
among farmers as class was voiced
to-day in a statement issued by Repre-
| sentative Anderson (Minn.). chairman
OF the Joint Congressional Commission
of Agricultural Inquiry.
Mr.. Andersons statement u In line
with the objection recently registered by
President Harding against group organ
/ lzation. and action and tendency 70
divide the country into political groups
o. blocs based upon supposed similarity
of economic interest
Mr.. Anderson represents an agricui-
tural State where the non-partisan poll
teal farmers organization is supposed
TO be exceptionally strong. and which
has been represented In the so-callcl
agricultural bloc In the house.
| Politics and economic organizations
| Of farmers will not MIX" said Mr.. An
derson. The justification of farm or
ganisations Is economic purpose. This
is the message sent out several weeks
ago to the farmers Of the nation. and
feel gratifcd at It's favorable reception
by the substantial agricultural inter-
ests. Particularly do feel pleased
that Gov Miller at the New York State
Fair last week, took this particular sub
feet as the theme Of his address. and
disapproved OF attempts of farmers or
ganizations to exert political power.
characterizing such attempts as hostile
to American institutions and certain to
resu. to their own disadvantage
| "It Is impossible to confine the pols.!-
cal interests OF the farmers to those mat
ters in which they have class economic
! interest, and II 1t were not impossible.
1t would be inimical to the public in
terest to do so.
Must Build on Cooperation.
IF cooperation Is to be successful in
this country 1t must have It's roots in
the farm and must begin with farmers
IN local way. and be built up from this
| foundation. Farm organizations cannot
be built from the top down. Coopera-
tion is essentially self-help. and self-help
begins with the individual. Cooperation
must have its origin in common COM
munlty economic interests. Cooperation
1 can only succeed where there Is practical
! Identity OF interest among its members.
| Tho economic interests OF the farmers
who produce milk. or wheat, or cotton
! are pretty largely identical. Farm or
! ganization must proceed along the lines
of this identity Of interests.
The farmers interest in the wellbe-
ing of the nation is not measured by the
fact that he is n farmer. but by the
fact that he Is a citizen. There are and
should be the same differences OF opin-
ion among farmers upon political oues-
lions that there are among bankers or
lawyers. merchants or laboring men. and
these differences Of opinion. when in
jected into economic organizations. in
evitably result In disaster.
Whatever is done In a national legis.
lativo sense for the farmer cannot be
done because It Is in the farmers In.
terest but must be done because it is
In the public interest.
Must Keep to Economic Lines.
IN procuring whatever legislation
may be necessary to promote the
farmers interest In this scnse, farm
economic organizations will be much
more influential than farm political or
! ganizations. Legislation OF itself sell
dom works economic results. 1t can
| only lay the paper foundation for sot-
ting up the machinery through which
economic results are obtained
1T is entirely proper for the farmer
TO seek the necessary legislative basis for
| farm organizations. and I believe that
such LEGISLATION should be passed bu,
I hope that the struggle for Legislative
! and political advantage In the interest
OF the farmer will not be permitted to
obscure the necessity for organization
1 along economic lineE.
Economic organization is infinitely
/ more difficult to accomplish than politl-
cal organization. but once set up It Is
decidedly more permanent and advan.
/ tageous."