The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-05
AMERICAN FARMER AMONG STRONGEST
 MEN AT CAPITAL
Bankrupt at Home, He Is ShreWd, Intelligent and x Exceedingly Well Fixed
 Financially
By HUGH w. ROBERTS Washington Bureau The Age-Herald
 800 Davidson BulldinR

Washington, September 4.-(Spe- cial.)-One of the most powerful individuals in Washington is the American farmer. At home, he is bankrupt, according to all accounts. At the capital, he is shrewd, highly intelligent, and exceedingly rich. His home in the south and west. might be mortgaged hovel. His office in Washington, is luxuriously ap- pointed, and adequately equipped with stenographers and press agents.
 The farmer digs into his jeans to maintain his brain in Washington. If the man who pays the bills is sat sfied. no other man Is concerned even though he might be inclined to believe that the game Is one of ex- ploiitation.
 At any rate, after paying his repre- sentatives many millions of dollars during each of the past three or four years, the farmer is financially as greatly distressed as he was in the beginning of things.
 The Five Heads
 The farmers lobby in Washington operates under several heads or or ganizations, each distinct as to name and officers. but with memberships which overlap. Some of these organi- zations follow:
 The national board of farm organi- zations, organized 1917, C. s. Barrett chairman; Charles A. Lyman, secre- tary- treasurer; membership, 1,5oo,ooo in 40 states. Receipts. 1920, $1l,- 56S.2o; Lyman's salary, ss50 per month.
 The National Farmers union, c. 5. Barrett, president. The membership Is large in the south. Barretts salary is said to be reasonably modest.
 The National Grange, T. c. Atkeson, Washington represen tative; member ship. 1000 900 Dues of members $l.2o per annum, cents of which is expended in supporting the Washing ton office.
 Farmers National council, Benja- min C. Marsh, secretary and director of legislation; salary. $500 per month. Membership and dues unknown.
 The American Farm Bureau federa- ton, membership 1,o00,000; dues from s5 to sf5 per member per annum. or approximately si0,0oo.ooo total; of the dues, 50 cents per member, or $780, 900, is expended in supporting the national organizations; cost of Wash ington office 1920. sso,o0o; 1921 es- innate greater.
 The Net Result
 The value of any service, 1t is un- derstood Is shown in net results, The success of the farmers, lobby or lobbies is the sum of the achievement of sthe so-calIed agrarian bloc in Con gress. That bloc takes credit TOT having enacted the emergency tariff bill, the packers bill. and the farm export Dill But neither of these bills were enacted as the bloc would have had them enacted, and there is grave question as to whether or not each Of the bills have been SC doped that 1t cannot have real advantageous effect
 The emergency tariff bill has served it's purpose, and the farmers distress has not been transformed into joy. His burden. 1t is admitted, has not been alleviated. The pack CTS bill was amended in seven vital respects by lobbyists in the pay Of the packers, and to that extent ap- proved by the packers. The farmers export bill was devitalized by the President to such extent that its au- thor tainted while denouncing the ad- ministration, and Representative kel- Ter of Minnesota, on the floor of the House, charged that as result of the Presidents influence the bill had been transformed from a farmers into a bankers bill.
 The farmers sustained a complete defeat when the House last spring re- fused to follow the lead of the Senate