The Idaho recorder., 1922-02-10
POLTEICEL DOINCS AT WASHINCTo

Washington, Feb. 6.-The confer
ence is now the most popular Of all
indoor sports, and life at the Capital
of the nation is just one conference
after another I.
When Senator Borah, the big out
standing, outspoken senator from Ida
Tho, introduced his resolution for a
Disarmament Conference, he started
something. One conference now
treads upon the heels of another, and
this is only the beginning.
Something is wrong! The admin
istration is "up stump" and doesn't
know what to do; let's call confer
ence; let's assemble the "best minds, -
have a warm handshake, have our
pictures taken with our genial chief
executive in the center, palaver and
pow WOW for a few days, and then "all
aboard for Gods country" which
means home to the average man.
Then what happens Nothing what
ever. Oh, yes, there are the resolu-
tions which have been passed. Reso-
Lions are mostly like good intentions
they make good paving material in
warm climate.
And SO it came to pass that after
the unemployment conference was ov-
| er and the unemployment question
settled and everybody had job and
was back to work-except the eX-ser-
tvice men who tramp around here,
some of them in rags, and get turned
down everywhere they go, just as
| Will Hays turns them down when they
want to be postmasters after they get
the highest rating-following the un-
employment conference, the Great
Conferer calls an agricultural confer
ence. More handshakes, more White
House receptions, more group photo
graphs, more palavers, etc, etc. Oh,
yes, more resolutions. Great stuff!
Back to normalcy.
Was Agricultural Conference Only
Political CamOufiage?
The calling of the agricultural con-
| ference which recently completed its
session here was something in the ma
ture of an anti-climax, considering
that some months ago a Joint Com
mission of Agricultural Inquiry was
appointed to investigate agricultural
conditions, performed it's work intel
ligently and promptly and made it's
report, containing 13 recommenda-
tions, about which nothing has yet
| been done.
According to Senator Pat Harrison
Dem, Miss.,) this commission has
been meeting for weeks and for
months. ''The head Of every farm or
ganization was invited to come before
| it." he said. every avenue of ap-
proach through which we might OBJ
got all the information it seemed to
US it was possible to get"
In view of this, it would seem that
the recent agricultural conference was
duplication of effort, but Senator
Harrison found logical reason why
it was called. Senator Harrison, it
should be remembered, is that watch
dog of the Senate whose keen eyes
observe the errors and deceptions of
the opposition, and whose eloquent
voice warns the watch your step"
In speech on this subject in the
Senate, he said:
Can more information be gathered
by this conference (the Agricultural
Conference called by President Hard
lng) | wish for its every success, but
in my heart believe that its calling
is piece Of camoufage. When the
President came to Congress and spoke
against the agricultural bloc he felt
the reaction from the agricultural in
terests of the country, and when the
Secretary of War, speaking for him
in New York, inveighed more bitterly
against the agricultural group the re-
action was still greater; and in or
der to get from under he called the
meeting of this conference on agri-
culture to meet in the city of Wash
ingtcn. | wish for its success; but
what that conference will do will be
to accept the recommendations of the
JOINT commission of Agricultural In
qulry, and they pass resolutions to
you, who control legislation in this
body, and ask you for its immediate
passage.
The cooperative marketing bill.
for example, has been on the calendar
for months-I might say for years
and up to this good day and good hour
it has not been passed. What we
heed' senators, is to report these bills
out OF the committees and to pass
them. | care not how many confer
ences you have, unless Congress gets
busy. along that line, and unless the
president urges the necessary legis-
iatlon upon you and exercises every
influence that he can, he will get moth
ing They discovered that there were
SIX or seven million men out of en-
pioyment in this country, but accom-
piished nothing and got nowhere with
thelr recommendations Let US stop
conferrlng, and let begin to act.'
Farm Products Decline Due to Treaty
Defeat.
In colloquy with Senator Lenroot
t,Newoerry Republican, Wis., on de-
Gnne OF farm product prices, Senator
Harrison pointed out the one chief
cause.-the destruction of the foreign
markets. He said:
Will tall tho So-.A