The Washington herald., 1922-01-26
Rump Session to Be Held
Tomorrow on Call of
National Council.
SEEKS FREEDOM
OF DISCUSSION
Move Seen as Resentment
Against Attack of Ag-
ricultural Group.

Assuring the residents agricut-
tural conference as a failure, and
charging IT was called to attack the
agricultural bloc in Congress. the
Farmers National Council. repre-
senting itself as progressive, 50
called a conference of its own to
begin here tomorrow.
In the call issued by Ben Marsh,
managing director of the council,
II is declared:
The conference of farmers and
the allied interests which have been
robbing the farmers ruthlessly has
proved a complete and unqualified
failure, as far as securing results
is concerned. That IL was called to
prevent farmers securing just meas
ures of economic justice to which
they are entitled. and to assail the
agricultural Bloc" which has dared
place the rights of the producers
OF wealth against stealers of wealth,
Is perfectly patent. In this confer
ence there are many farmer rep
resentatives who have dared fight
the Mark. Hanna methods resur-
rected as part Of the program of
the author and finisher of normalcy.
Opportunity of speech.
The meeting of progressive
farmers to be held will give an
opportunity for untrammeled dis
cussion. and will give complete
evidence of the confidence which
the farmers of America have in the
agricultural bloc" and further evil
dence of the fact that the agricuI-
tural bloc" has not yet secured
nor espoused all the measures
which farmers know are essential
to rid the country of special privi-
lege. monopoly and middlemen ex-
ploitation."
Robert McDougal, recently elect
ed president OF the Chicago Board
of Trade, told the agricultural con-
ference today that the immedi ate
problem OF the farmer is an outlet
for his products.
Mr.. McDougsl said the exchanges
prosper when the farmer prnspers.
He told Of the board of trades CO.
operation with the Department OF
Agriculture in spreading the mes
sage of better livestock and better
grain. and said cumulative results
were beyond calculation.
I'VE favor a scientific agriculture
based on a 50-year program" he
said. rather than on any iand-to-
mouth adjustment to meet temper
ary troubles"
Progressives Mustered.
]. C. Wannamaker. president OF
the American Cotton Association
and floor leader or the insurgents,
spent yesterday mastering prog
raSSiVn iS
that he has gathered together sew
eral prominent members OF the con-
ference among whom may be in
cluded certain financiers known to
be friendly toward immediate rem
edying of the farmers condition
through increase of farm credit,
adequate warehousing facilities and
cooperative marketing.
So fa- the national conference is
known to have gone on record
favoring the acceptance OF Henry
Ford's Muscle Shoals offer on the
assumption that IL shall be devoted
to fertilizer manufacture; and the
St. Lawrence River project.
Two delegations waited on Sec
retary of War Weeks yesterday re-
garding the speeding up of final
acceptance of Ford's offer. The first
delegation represented the farm bu-
rcaus, headed by Grey Silver. WASH
ington representative of the Ameri-
can Farm Bureau Federation. The
second represented the farm journal
bloc" for which Herbert Myrick, of
Massachusetts, was spokesman n.
Both delegations were assured by
Weeks that as soon as the contracts
were signed by Ford in Detroit they
would be turned over to Congress
for final consideration.
Muscle shoals Designs.
Weeks told the farm bloc" that
IL Congress failed to accept the
Ford offer, he would recommend
that the government complete the
Wilson dam. but did not make clear
that he would recommend govern
mental operation of the nitrate
plant in that event.
Tho general sessions of the con-
ference. beginning today, will be
presented with resolutions from the
transportation committee Drying
the combination of the Interstate
Commerce Commission and the Rail-
road Labor Board, it is understood,
and the ''revitalization of State
railway boards"
The subject of reduction of wages
to balance the reduction in freight
rates has caused friction among
the members of the transportation
committee and the price committee,
according to the conference records.
This. it was said. promises to be a
contentious point at the general
session.
From the price committee came
tho charge that the government
rate and wage making bodies for
railways were. too far apart But
solidly. the committee advocated a
readjustment Of railway wages
contending that the national farm
sentiment favored II.
DE VALERA HEADS