The Owosso times., 1922-02-17

far beyond the one thought of prosper
ity for the farmer. Ii includes a desire
that all affiliated Industries shall pros
per, and that agriculture, fundamen-
tally the most important industry, shall
prove TO be not only Its own upbuilder
but the upbuilder of all other business
structures with which it has direct or
indirect relations.
The call for the conference was
voiced by Secretary Wallace of the De-
partment of Agriculture. He told the
administration of the necessity for
such conference, but the chances are
that the President had felt the neces-
sity aforetlme. Agriculture has been
a source of worry to the Republicans
ever since they came into full power
in the government.
Representative Sydney Anderson of
Minnesota Is the chairman of the, con-
gressional joint commission of agricul-
tural inquiry. In speaking to the rep
resentatives at the conference he said
there never has been time when there
was more public misunderstanding of
what has been done and what it is pos
| sible TO do to meet the agricultural sit
uation than there is today. This in ef-
feet was the opening sentence of Mr..
! simple truth which everybody knows,
and the conference was called TO clear
up the situation which he outlined.
Sectional Suspicion in Congress.
rhara con no M bidino tho 20 ct that
the Republicans hope that out of this
conference something will come which
may help to solve the agricultural
puzzles which are now confronting con-
gress. There never was exactly the
same kind of situation in house and
senate as exists there today. The east.
ern Republican suggests something and
cannot get even momentary conSidera-
ton for it, because instantly it is sus-
pected that because the proposer is
from the East his proposal can have
no good in it. The thing can be taken
in reverse, for if middle westerner,
affiliated with or sympathetic with the
so-called farmers bloc. shall make a
proposal, the East is suspicious of II
because it comes from a man whose
outlook is over part of the Missis-
sippi valley.
OF course the membership i'm the ag-
ricultural conference represented all
parts of the country, but the difficulty
is that the interests are conflicting. In
way the conference represented the
various thoughts on agricultural prob
lens that are being voiced in house
and senate, the thoughts of men who
look at things from different geograph.
ical viewpoints.
This conference was called to find
some means to increase the money in
come Of the farmers of the United
less money than the laboring man in a
big city who happens to be employed.
Something must be done to give the
farmer fair reward for his labor, for
his risks and for his willingness to re-
main farmer, for if he quits his Job
the country will starve.
Farmers Growing Indignant.
In 1920 it is said that the farmer
received for his labor and for his risks, !
and for everything else which men
tally or physically he put into his work,
less than one-half as much as he re-
ceived eight years ago. Washington
knows there is impatience, anxiety and
IA good deal of indignation in the farm
houses of the country.
1t is easy enough to understand the |
why's and wherefores of the farmers
bloc in the United States senate. To- |
matters between the so-called bloc and |
the rest of the Republicans in the SEN
ate. Whether or not anything good can
come out of the compromise naturally |
enough remains to be seen, but there |
is hope in the legislative halls that !
the conference may develop something |
which will remedy affairs. The Repub-
licans hope that the situation in the
senate which Is causing the Repub-
lican party much concern also may be
remedied.
The congressional joint commission
on agricultural inquiry divided its in
vestigations into four divisions-the
agricultural crisis and its causes
credit, particularly agricultural credit; !
transportation marketing and dstri-
button. The commission already has
made report on the first two subjects |
and 1t is now gathering material for
report upon the last two subjects.
Many Want to See President.
Spring comes early up the Potomac,
and no sooner is its advance guard in
evidence than sightseers In hundreds
come from all parts of the United
States to look the capital over, and
mayhap to shake the hand of the chief
executive of their country.
Most of the visitors are much dis
appointed when they find they cannot
get into what. the more or less flip
pant ones call the presence cham
ber." Now this does not mean that
the President of the United States is
not willing to shake the hands Of his
fellow citizen and his fellow citizens
wife, and to ask after the good folk