Evening star., 1921-08-14

The American farmer is having MS oay
in the legislative halls Of the National
Capitol-though he is having rough
time back home. Never before has the
voice of the agriculturist been so potent
when it comes to lawmaking. Why?
Because a group of senators. with
out regard to party Affiliations, who
hail from agricultural states banded
themselves together at the outset of
the new Congress for the purpose OF
'.aiding the farmer" The farmers had
been harder hit by the after-the-war
readjustment of prices than any other
group or class in the country.
This group got together-each SEN
ator intent upon doing the best for
the farming element-and determined,
first, upon an organization or coall.
tion, and. second, upon program OF
farm legislation William Squire Ken.
yon of Iowa was chosen chairman OF
the meetings Of the agricultural
group.
Senator Kenyon is one of the most
modest men in Congress. He inVari.
ably endeavors to put the soft pedal
upon any publicity about himself. as
the writer knows from long expert.
ence. And when the writer went to
him in search of an interview regard. .
ing the now famous agricultural
bloc" of the Senate, the first inlunc-
tion laid upon him by Senator Ken
yon was that he should not be set
down as the head of the organiza-
tion.
Bloc without a Head
"a number of the senators. intent
upon aiding the farmer. have or
ganiZed this bloc as it has come 10
be called" said Senator Kenyon. we
all Of us have the interests of the
more so than any one of the others"
Nevertheless, Senator Kenyon IS the
chairman of the meetings OF tne
"bloc." and he has been one OF the
leading figures in the moVemen. 1of or
legislation to help the farmers out OF
a hole.
per recently asked, Who is this agrl-
cultural blochead'," said the senator.
with a twinkle in his eye. AS a =.
Long before the organization OF the
present bloc in the Senate. Senator
kenyon was engaged actively In leg
isiative work to help the farmers.
He comes from one OF the sreat
farming states of the country. ana
back home to the farmers picnics'
where he can talk to the people ana
get their angle. He is farm owner
himself. though he says distinctly
that he does not wish to pose as q
farmer. He is lawyer. But he lived
on a farm when he was boy, aho
worked on a farm.
n remember that when l was M :
teen years old I ran away from school
to go to work on a farm" said SEN
ator Kenyon. THE reason l ran
away was that every Fridady all the
pupils were called on to reeite poems.
etc. i couldn't stand it. But l made
up my mind that l would get over
that feeling of nervousness when I
addressed an audience, and later l
returned to school. went through
academy and then college. ] Joined
all the debating societies I could. just
to force myself to learn to speak in
public. For my earliest ambition
was to become lawyer. I determined
that when was thirteen years old
Senator kenyon's Career.
The Iowa senator is big. clean cut.
hair gray though abundant. He is
fifty-two years old. but doesn't look
it. He has been in the Senate ten
years. taking the seat of the late
Senator Dolliver. Before he came to
the Senate he was an assistant at
torney general under the taft ad-
ministration, having charge of the
trust busting" work of the depart
ment. Before that he was a district
judge and a prosecuting attorney
and successful lawyer in his own
state. He overcame his awe of speak
ing in public. but admits that up un-
til a few years ago, he used to have
Qualms before beginning an address.
He speaks forcefully and clearly. and
comparatively rarely in the Senate.
What was the need of the farmer
bloco"
That's a fair enough question" re-
piled Senator Kenyon. THE farmers of
the country were in desperate condi-
tion-they still are. They had suffered
more acutely than any other body. due
toithe def1ation after the war. They are
the backbone of the country. They pro-
duSe the food which the whole country
mtst have. 1t was imperative that some
thing he done for them.
rat first there was an inclination in
some quarters to treat the farmer group
lightly. But senators from the east now
realize that much depends upon re-
storing prosperity to the farmers
THE farmer bloc has never had more
than twenty-five senators at its meetings,
Senator Kenyon said. But it has worked
together so effectually that it has forced
measures for farm aid out into the Sem
atE. and once these measures were before
thN Senate, other senators have, perforce,
Joined in their support.
yWh6n this session OF Congress shall
hate adjourned" said Senator Kenyon,
'Cpngress will have put through a pro-
gram Of legislation for the farmers that
win be pointed to with pride by the lead
erA and which will have put agriculture
ON; the road back to prosperity, and the
conntry along with the farmers on the
same road. 1t win be a great record, and
it wif3ssj1ot be due alone to the repub-
1iGanshcThe democrats have Joined with
us! inksthe best possible spirit to put
throsGH5hese laws, and to them credit
is due as well as to the republicans"
Il Program OF Legislatfon.
Included in this program of legislation,
Senator Kenyon said, are the following
measures:
/. A law authorizing the deposit of
$40,000,O0O of federal funds in federal
farm loan banks.
2. A measure increasing the interest