The Mena weekly star., 1921-07-28
RELIEF OF FARMER
 FOREMOST ISSUE
Special Joint Commission of Congress Gets We'll Started in Ninety Day investigation of Agricultural
 Needs and Ills.
By n. K. Reynolds, International News Service stan Correspondent

CorreAponuent
 Washington, July 24.--As the spe cial joint commission of the Senate and House swings into aggressive ac' ton in it's ninety-day investigation of the farming industry in the United States some 6,0OO,000 Americans who raise the nations food and who pro- duce most of it's clothing are waking up to the fact that the present Con. gress, with it's sturdy "agrarian blocks" in both branches, seems to be more fayorably inclined toward agri- cultural legislation than any that has preceded it during the last decade.
 The pending investigation, which was ordered by the passage of reso- ution offered by Senator Lenroot tR.), of Wisconsin, got under way on July II, and is to remain in continuous ses- sion in Washington and elsewhere for the next three months. Representa- tive Sydney Anderson (R.), of Minne- sota, is chairman of the joint commits sion, and serving with him are Sena- tors Lenroot (R.), of Wisconsin; Cap per (R.), of Kansas; McNary lR.l, of Oregon; Robinson (D.), of Arkansas, and Harrison (D.), of Mississippi; and genresentatives Mills lRl. nf New York; Funk (R.), of Illinois; Summers sD.), of Texas, and Ten Eyck (D), of New York.
 Immediate and effective relief for the agricultural industry is the pur- pose of the inquiry; but, according to Chairman Anderson's expressed hope, the investigation is to be used to carry on the work already launched by many members of Congress in the introduc- tion of bills designed to aid agricul- fnTe and not u block pending agri- cultural legislation,
 Should Congress continue to sit thru the summer and early fall there is little doubt in the minds of those who are following farm legislation that the country will be greatly bene- fitted by the passage of number of bills designed to relieve the distressed situation from which the farmers are struggling to extricate themselves.
 The Lenroot resolution directing the inquiry outlines the subjects to be in- vestigated as follows:
 1. Causes Of the present condition
 2. Cause of the difference between the. prices of agricultural products paid to the producer and the ultimate cost to the consumer.
 }. Comparative condition of indus tries other than agriculture.
 1. Relation of prices of commodi- ties other than agricultural products to such products.
 5. Banking and financial resources and credits of the country, especially as affecting farm credits.
 (. Marketing and transportation fa~ilities If the country.
 National organizations of farmers, whirh are represented in Washington, for the past several weeks have been assembling figures and reports from all parts of the country, which will be 1 presented to the joint commission. The | American Farm Bureau Federation, l which maintains legislative office in | Washington and headquarters in Chi | cago, with state federations in forty | seven of the forty-eight states, has l conducted inquiries in thirty states, | taking the testimony of thousands of | its members. This information will be furnished in turn tto the congressional i investigators. The federation will seek first to establish a prima facie | case setting forth the condition of ag- riculture by citing specific conditions and will then introduce evidence when | the inquiry progresses under the head of the transportation, finance and | marketing.