The New York herald., 1922-02-20
SENATE FARM BLOC
IN DANGER OF SPLIT
Crisis Arises Over Ladd Bill
to Guarantee Farmers
Against Loss.
Special Dispatch to TIE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. G.. Feb. 49,

Special Dispatch to TIE New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. G.. Feb. 19.
crisis confrontS the agricultural
bloc in the Senate. IL has passed
through several others, notably or the
revenue bill last summer, but the en-
tent of it's future influence in American
politics is now in the balance. The diyj
sion will be over the so-called Ladd
stabilization BILL which would guaran-
tee all farmers against loss in raising
corn, wheat cotton and sheep by Gov
ernment fxaton of minimum prices. and
would provide that the Treasury buy all
Of these surplus staples that the pro-
ducers do not desire 10 store.
A meeting of the bloc will be held this
week in an attempt to prevent the split.
The call has been sounded by Senator
McNary (Ore.), who has succeeded SEN
ator Kenyon (Iowa) as co-leader of the
bloc with Senator Capper (Kan.). Both
are Republicans. While they frankly
anticipate division, they minimize the
danger.
They insist that the community Of
economic interest and the necessity that
is the progenitor of the bloc will weld
it together again after this crisis has
passed.
The Ladd bill hasn't the remotest
chance OF passing the Senate and If
some, member of the agricultural bloc
OF the House introduces It in the lower
chamber it probably will never get out
of the Committee on Agriculture. And
IL it could get out Of committee 1t would
precipitate the same struggle in the
lower chamber that is endangerins the
more powerful bloc In the Senate.
The leadership of the bloc is in the
hands OF conservatively liberal Rcpubli-
cans. This leadership is for the farmer.
mostly because it is thought the farmer
needs legislative help, such as legaliza-
ton OF cooperative marketing and eX-
tension of long time bank credits. But
1t has not reached the radical phase
that Is the borderland OF Socialism, as
represented by the Ladd bill.
Senator Ladd IN. d.. the author or
the bill, is not Socialist He was
elected as a Republican, but the votes
came from members OF the Non-Partisan
League, which has been characterized
more radical than "Socialistic."
He and some other lesser lights OF
the bloc are not only fostering extreme
legislation for the agrarians, but are
often irregular in voting on the Ad-
ministration's foreign policies. The more
conservative members OF the bloc more
often find themselves voting confidence
in the President However. in this case
the deciding ballot will be cast by a
Democrat
The issue in the Agricultural Com
mittee seems to be in the hands OF
Senator Pat Harrison (Miss.). He is
expected to cast the vote that will give
the bill a favorable report and bring II
on to the floor, where he will probably
reverse his preference and vote against
it's passage.
The members OF the committee who. II
Is anticipated. will vote to report out the
bill are Senator's .Ladd. Norris tNeb.)
Norbeck (s. D.).rGooding (Idaho) and
Kenyon. The alignment of Senator
Kenyon is regarded as surprising
In the conservative faction OF the
bloc which will vote against reporting
out the measure will be found Senators
McNary and Capper Republican non
members of the bloc who will vote with
McNary and Capper are Page (Vt) and
Keyes IN. HI.
All of the Democrats on the Com
mittee on Agriculture are members OF
the farm bloc but two of them, Senators
Caraway (Ark.) and Ransdell (La.)
have promised to vote against reporting
out the bill. The Democrats expected "a
vote in committee. IL not on the floor
with the radical group are Smith (S. CO
Kendrick (wyo.). Hefin (Ala.) and
Harrison.