The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-03-11
(By Charles NJ. Kelley.


give the information in the most
conclusive and convincing manner.
The people, at any rate, do not
control the actions of Congress.
They may imagine they do, but
they are mistaken. About all that
is reserved TO the people is the
payment of bills that are being
contracted by the government for
the benefit Of those who own and
enjoy it.
The workers have been kicked
from the halls Of Congress so often
that they no longer go there ask
ing for consideration. They are
content to be silent if not satisfied
witnesses of proceedings that are
scandalously contemptuous of what
the people may or may not think
about them. Occasionally sop is
thrown labor's way in the form of
some petty legislative proposal that
rs likely as not will later be in
terprcted by the courts as being
directly and Intentionally against
The interests of labor. In the big
things, however, labor has learned
to expect little and is not, there
fore, disappointed when it gets
nothing.
Recently the farmers have learn
ed that they do not own Congress
or influence it in the slightest de-
gree when they are asking some
thing that the big interests do not
wish them to have. A few million
dollars are appropriated annually
for hog culture, or for seed testing
OF some such small matter of in
terest to growers, but should the
farmer come with demand that
embodies fundamental he learns
quickly enough what small part
he plays in the affairs of govern
ment.
A committee of farmers recently
went to the leaders of Congress and
requested that consideration be Civ
en- the bill regulating the packers
and other measures that are in
tended to relieve the wide distress
that exists throughout the nation.
They argued with Mr.. Mondell, the
leader of the house, and left him
after couple of hours with the
flat statement that Congress does
farmers legislation.
Mr. Mondell wanted the farmers
to know that the time of Congress
was allotted to the consideration
of appropriation bills, which will
not become effective until next July.
Nothing else mattered, he said. and
the farmers must wait until some
time on the indefinitely remote flu
ture for any relief that they feel
they should have to enable them
to come through their present diff
ficulties. No argument brought to
bear against Mondell and other lead
ers could bulge them from this
position.
But when the railroad lobby got
the ear of the leaders they heard
another story. There is always
time to devote to matters that are
promoted by the powerful Hobbies
that infest Washington. The coal
control bill, the packers control
bill, several farmers relief meas
ures, all are clogged in the legisla-
tive jam. But there are no meas
ures there that the big interests
demand. There is nothing that they
dare ask that Congress dare not
give.
Appropriation bills were side
tracked and the whole legislative
machinery was started in motion to
grind out an appropriation of $780,
COO, 900 demanded by the railroads.
In two days it was rushed through,
and the speaker of the House and
the President of the Senate sacri-
feed their dinner and their social
engagements that they might sign
bill that the lobbyists rushed to
them before the ink recording the
votes enacting it had dried.
The haste with which this bill
was rushed through Congress proves
just who owns Congress. Hundreds
of millions are voted out of the
federal treasury into the treasures
of the railroads, while railroad lob
byists held up the regular legisla-
tive routine. But when the farm
ers sought to secure just plain,
everyday justice they were advised
that Congress "has no time to give
to such subjects"
1t is time that the people realized
the identity of the governmental
power. 1t will assist them to an
understanding of many things that
otherwise would be ineXplicable.