The Washington herald., 1922-11-22

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can buelno0 u1en. C0ngreGonan
sJulius Hakn. q cAiisoenis. uads %
/ MONDAY = statssnsnt q timely q
tie Prssldent's Jsessigs. His sub.
ijsct was the lividon Of Consrsss
into blocs. III effsct of thoes bloes
On busnses, lssfsls4ion and ths con-
sequences q that lsgislexion fDr the
business proipsrisy q the country.
He used the ship subsidy - an
example. the conflict raging round
It ~ a warning. Nothing could be
more timely. Anybody who wishes
to know how hlocs tend to einlnrrass
bussness ana handicap prosrse has
only 70 follow the controversy that
centers On Mr.. Hasdings nip sub
stdy bin. stf
soundiy stated. the sAip subsidy
would cost sbout 90. .eoo. 900 . year.
Cost whomf The psople Of the
United statss- what psopis7 Most
ly the business people. the fActory
people. the people IN trade.
The money would 30 paid from
the United States Treasury. the
Unitsd States taxpayers. Three
fourths. at least, Of the amount
of money. paid In By the taxpayers
Is paid in by, business and indus
trial enterprises. The farmers pay
almost q quarter. Their contribu-
tion would not amount to q dollar
q farm family.
Half the exports from this coun-
try are foodstuffs. Half the ad.
vantage from q strong merchant
marine would accrue to the farm.
ers- Yet. At. Washington. the farm
ers are repreDented ~ unwilling 70
pay leas than Q fourth the subsidy
barely 81 Q year each-to get
one-haif the benefit.
At the same time with the ques.
ton Of ship subsidies there has
the question Of good roads. The
vote something like $1o0,0o0,000 q
year, for twenty years or more to
build good rosds, chiefly for the
benefit Of the rural population.
And the money Tor this hard roads
subsidy 10 already flowing out
from the United states Treasury
In tens Of millions actually.
What people. are paying this
hard roads subsidy largely for the
farmers benefit? The men in
business and industry. They pay
at least three-fourths Of II, a.
Though the comfort. oonvenience
and wealth from the 1s,e00 miles
of completed roads will accrue
largely to the rural population who
pay scarcely . fourth Of the ex.
pense. - --.
But surely that u q crazy situa-
ton. The American farmer has q
sense Of justice In business affairs.
But enough. Fully informed. the
farmer would not take, any, such
unreasonable. position toward the
whole fnation's business. But the
farmers themselves are not the
| real principals in the farm bloc
A. the members Of the dry bloc
in Congress are not dry" but
largely wet" % that ''farmers''
In the farm bloc are largely law.
yers and not farmers at all. Their
chief occupation 10 politics. and
not farmine-least Of all business,
And the consequence v that they
frame programs and make demands
which are often excessive. uDjust
and dsmofalixing TO the nAtion's
business. simply because these pro
grams and demands serve their po
hticat purposes with the farm vote
for the time being.
That IN 4 nutshell is the evfl OF
blocs. and bloc legislaticn. That
is the injustice and confusion which
Mr.. Kahn had In mind when hs
made his statement Of YESTERDAY
morning. That II the sort Of thine
that would prostrate business Il
allowed fun swing In Congress
and would transform the business
and politics Of this nation. into q
boiling caldron Of factional bitter
ness and mutual vengeance.
| For business men, the case Of
ship subsidy, the hard roads sub
subsidy. and the farm bloc's attitude
TO both, tolls the whole story; Con
sressnAn Kahn has earned the
gratitude Of all Amertcans, e.
psciAIly American business men, b.
directing their attention to the facti
Just At the time when President
Harding. In the same connection
10 challenging the attention Of the
nation.