The Washington herald., 1922-12-13
Brookhart Engineers Bloc to
Demand Precedence for
Rural Credits.
HARDING OPPOSES MOVE
Old Guard May lake Whip
From Hands Of Opponents
BY Postpening Measure.
BY JAMES r. NOURSE.
Universal Service.

Universal Service.
A demand by the Senate farm
bloc that the ship subsidy bill be dis
placed In favor of rural credits legis-
lation brought President Harding
and the Senate insurgents into close
grips.
The President will oppose any
move to set the subsidy bill aside
except by q yea and nay vote. Any
other disposition he would regard as
an evasion of Congressional respon.
sibility.
HAS WHIP HAND.
The farm bloc. however. has the
backing Of fifty votes. one more
than a majority. which can be used
at any time to force a motion to
shelve the subsidy measure.
Engineered by Smith Brookhart,
independent Republican from Iowa,
the bloc allowed IL to be known that
Il 10 merely biding its time, that IL
purposes to wait O day or two to
find out what the Administration
leaders are willing to do, and unless
the answer is satisfactory, the bloc
will make the next move by forcing
farm legislation to the front. -
These forty-nine members gave
their pledge to Brookhart to sup
port him in whatever move he de
cides to make:
Republicans-Borah Cameron.
Capper. Couzens. Gooding, Har-
reid. Ladd, La Toilette, Lenroot.
McNary. Nicholson, Norbeck, Nor
ris and
Democrats - Ashurst. Bayard,
Caraway, Culberson, Dial, Fletch.
| er, George, Gerry, Glass, Harris.
Harrison. Heflin. Hitchcock,
Jones. Kendrick. King. Mcclellan,
Myers, Overman, Owen, Pittman,
Pomerene. Reed. Robinson, Shep-
pard. Shields, Simmons. Smith,
Stanley. Swanson. Trsmmel.
Underwood. Walsh OF Massa-
chusetts. Walsh of Montana. and
Williams-thirty-five.
WORKS QUIETLY.
Brookhart caught Administrations
| leaders mapping. He worked quietly
among Senators here and obtainet
their pledges. The pledges Of 8
number of Senators Were obtained
by telegraph He averred toda,
that he can count upon the sup
port Of seven or eight other Sena
tors
Some of those on Brookhart's
list are in favor of the subsidy
bill. but agree with Brookhart thai
farm legislation N of such press
ing importance that il should b<
given immediate consideration.
As a result of Brookhart's move
there was a sudden realignment Of
Administration plans for puttint
the subsidy bill through. Majority
Leader Lodge and strong Admins
tration Senators like Watson, O.
Indiana, Kellogg. of Minnesota, ant
Curtis. of Kansas, began to show
awakened interest in farm lesisla
uon. They waited upon Chairman
Mclean Of the Banking and Cur
rency Committee with a rsaues
to get busy on rural credits bill.
and rush one or more of them tt
the Senate.
MAY DELAY BILL.
The bloc's demand also forcet
from Senator Jones. in charge O
the subsidy bill, an announcement
during debate that whenever
rural credits bill is ready for con
sideration ,he will be willing to hav.
the subsidy bill set aside Ions
enough to permit the credits bill
| to be considered. The old guar
does not wish to have credit fol
farmer aid legislation go to tn,
farm bloc: hence it is extremel,
probable that within the next 4,
hours these things may happen:
Lodge to make a motion to
displace the subsidy bill until a
rural credits bill has been dis
| posed Of.
2-Administration leaders to
take the initiative in shaping
farm credits legislation In order
TO keep this honor from going 10
the farm bloc.
3-Speedy consideration of the
farm bill. its passage by unani-
nous vote, and then a return to
the subsidy bill