The Washington times., 1922-12-06
PRESIDENT WILL
ASK AID FOR "
FARMERS
Message to Congress Will
Stress Need Of Relief for
Agriculture.
BY GEORGE r. HOLMES,
international News Service.

luttTHutsO""A ANV"b rosv',S'
President Harding today began
the final draft of his forthcoming
message to Congress, which will
contain more recommendations
for relief Of the farmers Of the
country than any Presidential
paper in recent history.
Conferences the President has
had with Eastern and midwest
ern Congressman, and the unde-
niable unrest and dissatisfaction
through the rural sections as re-
vealed in the November election,
have combined to convince Mr..
Harding that there Is no problem
quite SO pressing as the asricul-
tural situation.
May Speak Friday.
The President probably will &c
% Congress on Friday, although tn"
,xact hour has not been determin.
ed. His engagement to lunch win
Georges Clemenceau, the former
French ambassador. will prevent his
yoing tomorrow. BY going on Fri
lay, the President will have tht
benefit of last-minute opinions oi
his Cabinet on the message, which
ne plans to lay before the regulaI
session that day.
The seriousness of the farmers
predicament may be CLEANED from
the fact that President Harding re-
Gently has been' informed that nc
less than half a million farm mort
cages will be foreclosed during the
next year unless some aid IL
speedily forthcoming. Credits and
better marketing facilities alone can
bring relief the President has been
told by his advisors. and 1t is upon
these two subjects that Mr.. Harding
will place the burden Of his message
"Cheap Labor" Needed.
Coupled with the PRESIDENT
recommendations on agricultural
relief probably will be q recon-
mendation for the lifting OF the Inn
II grafton bars to let In cheaper
abor." High prices for labor and
ow prices for crops have been the
farmers chief source Of complaint,
Industry in the cities has stripped
the farms of labor. and the only
salvation seen by the Admi listration
Is to lower slightly the barriers that
ire-now keeping thousands Of immi
grants out Of the country.
There is a good deal Of uncer
,ainty an to just how far the Pres
dent will 20 In advocating changes
in the present immigration law
The Cabinet itself is divided on tn
MISUNDERSTANDING Of the Treasury
Mellon being for a pronounced re
vision Of the law. and Secretary OF
Labor Davis being equally opposed
to any appreciable revision.
VIII Refer to Problems.
II Ia probable that Mr.. Harding
will treat other immediate problems
somewhat lightly In his message
not because of a desire to skip them
but because the short tim- interven
ing between now and the expiration
of the present Congress and tht
enormous amount Of work aheaC
precludes any ambitious program.
Railroad conditions, the prohibi
ton enforcement situation. ths
merchant marine bill. these an,
others. will be only touched on In
passing because the Presiden
realizes II Congress passes the mer
chant marine bill and effects agri
cultural relief. In addition to passinS
the regular appropriation bills. i
will have TO be kept In q continue
state Of perspiration until March 4
The President Is still staunchly D
the opinion that there will be n
need Of a special session. next sum
mer. Consequently the administra
ton whips will endeavor to get ou
Of the way In the next four month,
all Of the matters that would neces