Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-11
HARDING NOW AIMS
TO APPEASE BLOC
Victories Of F arnn.labor ALL
anes Change Tactics
Of G. Q. P.
PLAN TO ISOLATE RADICALS
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT

HSS IVN W.
stan Corrcspondent Evenins Public r.eAeer
Washington, Nov. 11.-Tactics Of
the Harding Administration for the
next two years will be to break the
political alliance Of the farmer with
labor which produced the surprising
ovcrturn in Minnesota and was the
source Of strength Of the progressive
candidates In Iowa, Nebraska, Wis.
consin and elsewhere.
The Presidents political advisers re.
gard the labor vote ns gone from the
Republican Party. But they think the
farmer vote can easily be retained, and
that the rural elements must be kept
satisfied In order to maintain the party
strength in 1924,
One plum being discussed is the filling
OF the first vacancy that mny occur
IN tho Cabinet with some member Of
the farm bloc. The President may
have to repent. in the case of Senator
Capper, his tactics which removed
Senator Kenyon from the list Of pos.
'sible opponents in 1924. Senator Cap.
per Is now leader Of the farm bloc and
1t Is snid by his friends to think 20
well Of his own prospects In 1924 that
he will refuse even an Offer Of n place
IN the Cabinet should one be made.
IL any doubt existed as to the gov.
ernOrship Of the Federal Reserve Board
It has been removed by the election.
w. T.. q. Harding. who is opposed
for reaprointment BY the farmers on
account OF the credit tlrtiatiOn. will net
succeed himself. Some one acceptable
to the farmers will receive the place.
..itHrks from the White House on
y" farm bloc win cease. The Trcsi-
dent has boon IN tho habit of referring
to the division If the electorate into
groups md classes as dangerous and
un. American. The bloc is now too
powerful to bc criticized.
While deprccating Its existence in
the past, the Administration has yielded
to 1t. The Presidents task has all
by satisfying rs best he could the cor. (.
scrvativc Enst and tho agricultural
West. Compromises have been effected
by which the bloc hns generally received
what legislation it wanted. In the fu.
ture the bloc will obtain what it asks
for more easily.
Now, there is nothing radical in what
is sought by Senator Capper and the
more moderate majority IF the farm
bloc, and their managers the leaders of
the Conservative Farm Bureau Fedora.
ton. by making few concessions the
Administration can drive wedge be.
members Of the bloc like Senator's La.
Toilette. Rrookhart. Frazier, Norris.
Shipstead and perhaps Howell and,
Ladd.
Would Isolate the Extremists
The extremists. if the Hnrding policy
works and the farmers are satisfied. will
be isolated and their capacity for dam.
nge in 1924 will be lessencd. It re-
1t will work, whether the farmer will
not. like Oliver Twist, keep asking for
more.
From an Atlministra source it Is
learned that the farm bloc program
which will have White House approval
Is as follows:
1-Iegislation improving credit fa-
cilities for farmers. Much furm Dor.
rowing runs for too long n time to
be good liquid assets for the banks
In the Federal Reserve System. 1t
Is proposed to- establish rural credit
banks similar to the farm loan banks
which will loan to farmers on papers
with Il duration of six months to two
years.
2-Thc amount Of money that may
pt IUuIcu WI luIut IholtSuSNo NNA Wv
increased to $2j. 900.
3-The smaller rural banks will
be admitted to the Federal Reserve
System.
At is proposed to limit the
amount banks may charge for money
over and above the rate fixed by the
Federal Reserve banks, Some Ques-
tiOn exists of the Administration ap-
proval of this farm bloc plan.
Would Pass Pure Fabrics Bill
5-The Pure Fabrics Bill demanded
by the wool growers will be made Il
law.
8-The Esch. .Cummins law will be
amended 10 az to permit of the re-
duction of railroad rates on farm
products.
THE disposal the Muscle Shoals
to some private interest. probably
Henry Ford. for the establishment of
n fertilizer plant.
1t will be observed that none of these
farm bloc proposals nre radical and
that the conservative East Is not likely
to quarrel with any Of them. except
favoring the farmer In railroad rates.
The railroad executives refused to make
such an arrangement voluntarily Just
before the recent campaign began and
the Interstate Commerce Commission
decided 1t could hot make it under the
existing law.
Thus the Administration proposes to
take over, recognize and rcgularizc the
farm bloc as it Is represented by It's
conservative leaders in Congress.
There will remain to be reckoncd with
the radical bloc probably led BY Senator
la Toilette and probably holding the
balance of rOwer in both parties, am
the labor. which. In this election, wa.
, effectively organized. Their capacity t,
make trouble will depend upon the
economic condition on the farms in the
next two years.
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