The Washington herald., 1921-12-26
By MARK SULLIVAN.

~ <AFhA>AA - ~ 1SA EhANs
The farmer bloc" has come to
have. here In Washington at least,
a meaning quite as definite as the
terms Republican party or Demo-
cratic party. In fact, those Sem
ators who compose the center of
the farmer group in the Senate and
give it leadership and guidance
come together more often and act
together more solidly than do the
Republican or the. Democratic Sem
ators. Moreover. the farmer bloc
is undeniably a growing institution.
Its strength and prestige increases
with every issue that comes up.
The leadership of the Republican
party. which is supposed to dom
mate the Senate but does not, is in
a state OF constant yielding to the
farmer bloc. President Harding
and a member OF his Cabinet, Sec
rotary Weeks, have in public ad-
dresses spoken critically of this
form of group action i'm consressF
but the Republican leaders within
the Senate and House do not fight
1t, At least they do not fight it
vigorously or successfully. Their
more frequent and obvious tenden-
cy is to let II have its way. Just
now. as the important tariff legis-
lation is about to emerge from the
Senate Finance Committee, II Is ap-
parent that Senator Penrose does
not feel strong enough to take any
course other than largely to let the
farmer bloc write whatever tariff
1t chooses to write.
Origin Of TIE .srsc.-s
Since this is new and important
institution in American politics, 1t
will be interesting and useful to
consider the story Of its inception
and growth. For that purpose the
best possible beginning is a brief
statement of business conditions in
the farming States from which
these Senators and Representatives
come. and whose economic and
political ideals they represent. For
such a statement there is no source
more authoritative or compact than
to quote a few detached sentences
from the annual report OF Secretary
Henry Wallace OF the Department
OF Agriculture. Secretary Wallace
paints this picture of the farming
conditions which have caused Sem
ators and Representatives from
agricultural States to seek economic
remedies through government ac-
tion. and to act together politically
towards that end. He says:
THE purchasing power OF the
principal farm crops of the year
1921 at the present time is lower
than ever before known. In times
past some OF these crops have sold
at lower prices per sale unit ex-
pressed in dollars and cents, but
probably never before have our
farmers generally been compelled
to exchange their crops per sale
unit for such small amounts OF the
things they need.
Surprised by Price Drop.
The Improbable year OF 1890
compelled large numbers OF farmers
to borrow heavily to meet excessive
costs of production which could not
be paid out OF crop proceeds. The
drop IN prices Of
farmers. They had expected some
decline. but nothing so severe as
what actually happened. CeLse-
quently for a time they tried to
avoid heavy sacrifice and continued
their borrowings. Their bankers
shared their belief that the situa-
ton would adjust itself and were
willing to lend. but prices went
lower, and these loans, together
with loars previously made, soon
added volume to that mass of frozen
credit Of which we have heard 80
much talk during the last year.
During the prosperous years
land rents went up rapidly. doub-
ling and trebling, and in some
cases going even higher. II was
human nature that renters should
prefer to pay cash rent in q time
of good farming profts. The drop
in prices for crops in 1920 caused
many Of these renters to lose not
only their labor for that year. but
their savings as well.
Many young farmers who had
saved several thousand dollars dur
ing the prosperous years were in
duced to buy farms on contract at
the price peak. making small pay
ments down with provision for
yearly payments of interest and
on the principal. on pain Of forfeit
ture OF all sums previously paid.
The sadly Improbable year Of 1920
wiped out thousands OF these fns
young men, and the even worse
year Of 1921 will rnish more Of them.
Conditions Preduced "BIoc.,
Those were, and are, the eondi-
tons which caused the Senators
and Representatives from the
States most affected to be acutely
responsive to the needs Of their
90 nstituAntA Thorn nara thu can