Evening journal., 1922-01-09
Uncle Harry Talks
About the Farmer Bloc

What do people mean when they
speak OF the farmer bloc in Con-
gress?" asked Helen. Il know what
block OF wood is, and what block
OF houses is"
But you are puzzled by this
word bloc when il is used in con-
nection with news OF Congress; is
that it?" said Uncle Harry.
Helen nodded her head In assent.
And that word bloc has been
stumbling block to me, too" added
Joe
And would you like to know
about 1t, too, Jimmy?" queried
Uncle Harry
And when Jimmy admitted that he
too, had been puzzled by the word,
! Uncle Harry continued.
Block. Bloc and Bloch.
you are not so far wrong in your
/ understanding OF the word bloc
when you say that you know what
the word block means The word
block in English. the word. bloc in
French. and the word bloch in
German. all mean the same. A num-
Der OF houses grouped together in
the way that we know them in our
American cities, constitutes a block.
A number of people grouped to-
gether and working for a common
purpose. constitute a bloc in what
is known as a parliamentary or rep
resentative. sense
Here in the United States we
have always had the party system OF
politics. That is to say, candidates
for office have been elected on party
tickets. AT various times certain
members OF Congress, Irrespective Of
. their parties, have joined forces and
constituted themselves bloc for
the purpose OF accomplishing cer-
tain results not covered by their
. party platform OF principles.
The present farmer bloc which
is more pronounced In the Senate
than il is in the House OF Represon-
tatives. is composd OF both Demo-
b cratic and Republican Senators. who
d have Joined in making a representa-
tive program and who stand together
In support OF proposed laws aimed
to remedy conditions which have
grown up in the last few years and
which the\farmers say have worked
Unnecessary hardships on them.
Bloc System Used i'm France.
The word bloc. as used in a par
liamentary sense. Is best known in
the French Chamber OF Deputies. In
6act. IL is the bloc system rather
than the party system, that controls
legislative affairs in France. don't
mean to say that there are no po-
lhical parties in France. on the
contrary. there are so many parties
each one electing some members
OF the Chamber-that no one party
hasa majority OF votes. SO this is
what happens. The representatives
OF a group OF these parties meet,
form a Legislative program and con-
stitute themselves bloc. Gener-
ally, there are several blocs in the
Chamber, with one that has a ma
jority OF the votes and this majority
elects the Premier. When a public
lquestion arises on which the Premier
cannot command a majority vote, he
as a rule. resigns. the members OF
his cabinet resign with him and a
new Premier is elected, sometimes
, by the old bloc and sometimes by a
! majority bloc that has been forced
, as result OF the question in issue
with respect to our own Senate
the division OF votes has generally
2 followed party lines At the same
s time. there have always been certain
A Senators who were generally regard
ed as representing not only their owl
States. but certain and variou
$ groups OF interests. In a way thes
o senator's constitute 'blocs, but the.
n were not popularity known as such
s The farmer bloc is probably tn
strongest and most frankly out
spoken bloc that has eyer bee