Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-07

w signed to help the farmers, with an
organized agricultural bloc or party in each
House of Congress backing it, and million
organized farmers clamoring for its 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 definite economic
interest, has been described in a previous
daskin letter. The old parties are tending
to lose their meaning. You may know that
man was elected on the Democratic ticket
without having clear idea where he STANDS
on anything. But if man comes out as
a representative 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 this open, organized method Tney
have made known clearly their views on
taxation, the tariff, immigration and other
major measures, and have in addition pro-
cured the introduction of long list or Dllls
designed especially to favor farmers. Inc
| following partial summary Of the measures
| the farmers are supporting in Congress are
obtained from the office of the American
Farm Bureau Federation; which claims to rep
resent over million farmers.
A resolution has been passed appointing a
committee to investigate agriculture and to
| inquire into the cause of its present status.
| of Minnesota, the chairman of the committee,
| the whole scope of the inquiry can be COM
| pressed into the question: What IS the
matter with the economic system or the
country, if anything, with special reference
to the service which it does and ought to al
ford to agriculture?"'
About twenty-five senators and an equal
number of representatives have joined to-
gether in separate bocs to discuss agr1cultu-
raj legislation and to try to promote the ad-
vancement of various bills which have Deen
drafted to relieve the economic pressure on
agriculture These members Of Congress nave
the viewpoint that agriculture is fundamental
and that it must be made prosperous II the
wheels Of industry are to turn freely. Ihese
blocs meet separately and usually in execu-
tive session, when plans are laid Tor actlon
Road ills.
The American Farm Bureau Federation is
working very closely with both blocs and it
is confident a number of other bills will be-
come laws before the closing OF this session.
The federation has been making strenu-
GUS fight against the Townsend highway Dill
and for the Dowell bill. 1t contends that the
| Townsend bill will provide for the construc-
| ton of few highways or trunk lines across
the country and eliminate cooperation be-
tween states and the federal government in
| road construction resulting In heavy over
| head expense with the appointment of three
| commissioners The DoWen bill, which IS
| now called the PhlppS-DOWell Dill, more Close-
| lv approaches what the farmers deslre-farm-
| to-market roads. 1t would continue co-opera-
| ton between the federal government and the
states The law would be administered by
| the department of agriculture as at present.
| and would establish definite road-construc-
| ton policy. AS the two bills now stand they
likely will be referred eventually to the Town
send senate committee on highways where
some compromise between the two bills prob
ably will have to be made in order to pass
one of them
| After more than two years of intermittent
| testimony and discussion of packer leg1sla-
| ton, two bills to control the packing bust
ness and livestock yards have reached point
where one is likely to become law. This
! bill provides for the regulation of the meat
packers by the secretary of agriculture, for
uniform system of accounting and publicity
| concerning costs, and applies the Sherman
act to the packing industry and commission
| men.
Two bills which would improve the federal
| farm loan system have shown fair progress
and it is predicted by those who are watch