The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-04-01
TO CALL FARMERS
TO WASHINGTON
Secretary Wallace Has Plan to Hasten
Congressional Action To Benefit
Agriculture.

Washington, March ga move
ment is under way to bring represen-
~tatives of organized farmers from
every section of the country to Wash
ington before the special session OF
Congress or soon thereafter
to impress on the White House the
Importance of agricultural relief leg
lslation, it was learned today. Def
mite arrangements for such a confer
ence are yet to be made, but the plan
has back of it several senators and
representatives and a few of the farm
organization leaders stationed here.
Wallace Reported Favorable.
The Department of Agriculture, it
is understood, is not the least unfriend-
ly to the idea. In fact, it is said that
Secretary Wallace has given his en-
enlargement to the plan.
President Harding already has
promised the farmers an emergency
tariff, but he wants something other
than the Fordney bill. Congressional
leaders are holding out for the meas
ure which President Wilson vetoed.
Already the storm against this bill
has become so fierce that the admin
istration is beginning to doubt the wis
dom of making it a law. Opponents
are trying to show that while such
legislation was necessary last winter
the emergency now has passed.
Eastern Republicans Oppose.
The chief purpose of bringing a big
delegation of farmers here soon is to
make sure the passage of the Fordney
bill or perhaps a shorter substitute,
one that deals only with farm products
Those back of the scheme are con-
vinced that President Harding will not
yield to the demands of the Eastern
Republicans to abandon the emergency
bill if farm organizations make the
right kind of a showing.
Secondary in Importance to the
strengthening of the emergency tariff
with the administration bill is getting
the White House behind a definite pro-
gram of permanent farm relief legis-
lation. Republicans promised the far
mers much in the campaign last sum-
mel and fall. While some of the lead
ers are sincere in their desire to carry
out these pledges others are inclined
to doge the issue. They are saying the
farm legislation problem is a small
one; that the farmer really isn't ex-
pecting much from the Republican ad-
miniStration in the way of legislation.
Plea for Fulfillment Demanded
But those who are arranging for the
big farm demonstration at the White
House are determined to tell the Presi-
dent at the outset what the farmers
expect. And they are going to
insist that Mr.. Harding see to it that
the party make good its pledges.
In addition to emergency tariff legis-
lation the farmers want:
Cooperative marketing associations
authorized to do business in interstate
commerce.
Grain exchanges made public mar
kets and subjected to federal regula-
gamblers and spectators.
Federal control of the meat packing
industry.
More liberal rural credits-a system
that will permit the borrowing on long
time notes of money on farm crops.
Reduction of freight rates so that
the farmer will be able to get more
for financing and growing his crop
than the railroads will receive for
hauling it to market.
The farm legislation program has
not been worked out in detail. The
plan is to lay before the President not
only an outline of the relief desired,
but actual drafts of the bills to get it.
Leaders in the organized farmer
movement realize the time to get their
program before the President is at the
start. If they wait until the various
tariff bills and the tax revision are
disposed Of winter will be drawing
near and Congress taking a vacation
in preparation for the regular session
which will devote its first three or -four
months exclusively to appropriation
LIN.