Evening star., 1922-11-22
PRESIDENT TO SEEK
FARM BL0C'S |DEAS|
Will Push Legislation to Aid
Growers, Irrespective of
Ship Bills Fate.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

President Harding's purpose in in
serting a paragraph about farmer aid
in his message to Congress on ship
subsidy has naturally stirred up a
good deal of curiosity. The special
session was called for consideration
of the merchant marine bill only.
The regular session begins in Decem-
ber. when Mr.. Harding's annual mes
sage. covering variety Of subjects.
will be read. There was no outward
reason why promises Of farnsEAH3s
lief need have been included in the
ship subsidy address. Why WIS IT
done. -ss,7,rtiss O. rS:s..s- s..a1 ..
The answsr,. as given M admins!
tration quarters. is, that President
Harding expects to be comforting In
the next ten days with members OF
the farm bloc in Congress. who are
more or less hostile to ship subsidy.
He will be conferring with them
primarily to get their ideas on the
he should make tc
Congress during the regular session
in December He will also
be discussing ship subsidy.
Not Intended ~ Trade.
Mr.. Harding wanted to prevent the
impression from being spread that he
was trading an agricultural credit
plan to win farm support for the ship
subsidy.
He deliberately inserted a para
graph in his ship subsidy message
about it. SO that the farming inter-
committed to government aid for the
farmer. He wants it understood that
he is for that plan irrespective of the
outcome of the ship subsidy contro-
versy. His purpose. therefore, was to
give a public pledge to the farmers
farm bloc senators about ship sub
It isn't a trade, therefore. or qufd
pro quo in the sense in which dif-
ferent measures have been onereo IN
many instances heretofore by party
out promise to the farmer. 1t is done
with the knowledge that even before
the recent primaries and elections the
discontent Of the rural sections OF the
country over low farm prices was so
acute that it could no longer pe
neglected.
Farm LEGISLATION Next.
Even if there had been no shipping
question to solve, the administration
would have been face to face with
the rural credit problem; In fact,
with ship subsidy out of tho way the
Standardization will concentrate On
farm legislation almost entirely.
The hostility of members Of Con-
presa, from rural districts to the
Ship subsidy bill has appeared to the
aad aent based on lack of knowledge
of what is involved. but mostly on
the idea that the farm problem Is
more acute than any other and
should be given preference.
+be opuosition of the farm elements
bv showing them that he Is tackling
farm questions coincident with ship
subsidy, and that the building up of
merchant marine is important I 30
nav he carried to all parts Of the
globe at cheap rates Of transpor-
tation.
Must Meet Rail Problems.
But this phase of the farmer
the administration must tackle. It's
the transportation rates on Iand
which are at the root Of the trouble.
The farmer has been clamoring for
lower freight rates. and has resented
government guarantees to the rail-
roads, while no assurances or guar
antees of a concrete financial char
acter have been given to the farmer.
The railroad labor problem is also
a factor. 1t would not be surprising
to see the railroad and farm prob
iems taken up simultaneously in the
December session of Congress, and
some Recommendations from Presi-
dent Harding to amend the Esch-
Cummins transportation act are
looked for. That's why Mr.. Harding
wants to get ship subsidy out of the
way and provide a friendly atmos-
phere for consultation with the
farmer bloc in Congress, who un-
doubtedly will be more active than