Arizona republican., 1921-07-09
By Frederic J. Haskin

" AS111NGIoN, ID. C., July IA definite program of legislation de- signed to help the farmers. with an organized agricultural bloc or party in each house of congress backing it, and a million organized farmers clamoring for it's passage. is one of the most unusual features of the present congress.
 The tendency of the two old parties to break up into small groups in congress. each representing some def mite economic interest, has been de- scribed in a previous Haskin letter. The old parties are tending to lose their meaning. You may know that man was elected on the Democratic ticket without having a clear idea where he stands on anything. But If man comes out as representa- : i've of the farmers, of union labor, or of the manufacturers you know at once where he stands.
 So far. the farmers seem to have made most progress in the open, or ganized method. They have made known clearly their views on taxa ton. the tariff. immigration. and other major measures. and have in addition procured the Introduction oi a long list of bills designed especially to favor farmers The following par tial summary of the measures the farmers are supporting in congress was obtained from the office of the American Farm Bureau Federation which claims to represent over mill lion farmers.
 A resolution has been passed ap- pointing a committee to investigate agriculture and to inquire into the cause of its present status Accord ing to Congressman Sydney Ander- son of Minnesota, the chairman o the committee, the whole scope O. the inquiry can be compressed into the question: What is the matter with the economic system of the country. if anything, with special ref erence to the service which it doe. and ought to afford to agriculture? 9
 About 25 senators and an equa number of representatives have joined together in separate blocs to discus. agricultural legislation and to trv t, promote the advancement of variou. piiis which have been drafted to re. neve the economic pressure on agri culture. These members of congres. nave the viewpoint that agricultur, IS Fundamental and that it must D, made prosperous if the wheels of in. dustry are to turn freely. These plocs meet separately and usually il executive session, when plans are lais for action.
 l Road Bills
 The American Farm Bureau Feder. ation is working very closely witt both blocs and it is confident a mum per Of other bills will be come law before the closing of this session.
 The federation has been making l strenuous fight against the Townsens highway bill and for the Dowell bill It contends that the Townsend bil Will provide for the construction O a few highways or trunk lines acros the country and eliminate cooper atlon between states and the fedora government in road construction re suitlng in heavy overhead expens With the appointment of three com missioners. The Dowell bill. whicj IS now called the Phipps-Dowell bill l more closely approaches what tn, farmers desire - farm to marke roads. It would continue co-operatiol between the federal government an, the states. The law would be ad ministered by the department of az riculture as at present. and woul, estaohsh a definite road construction poncy As the two bills now stan, they likely will be referred eventuall l to the Townsend senate committee n, highways. where some compromis between the two bills probably vii nave to be made in order to pass on of them
 j After more than two years of inter mittent testimony and discussion a packer legislation. two bills to contrc the packing business and uvestoc yards have reached point where on is likely to become a law. This bi
 provides for the regulation of in
 meat packers by the secretary e agriculture, for a uniform system c accounting and publicity concernin
 costs, and applies the sherman ac to the packing industry and commis sion men.
 Two bills which would improve tn federal farm loan system have show fair progress and it is predicted b
 those who are watching legislatio
 closely that they will be passed thi session. One bill provides s50, ,000, ,0O working capital in the treasury ade partment, which the federal fari loan board may draw against pend ing the sale of large block of bond The claim was made that it was in
 practicable to keep federal farm loa bonds on the market continuous
 and that a larger issue should be sol
 promptly.
 Another bill would enable the fet
 eral farm loan banks and the joil
 stock land banks to pay 5 E per cel
 instead of per cent on their bond
 which are now tax exempt. Eve
 with this exemption feature the.
 bonds have sold rather slowly becau:
 of the high rate of interest paid
 foreign governments and by our ov
 industrial concerns.
 The Farm Bureau with other O.