The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-01-19
FARMERS To
GET LOAN ON
STOCK, CROPS
Bloc to Pass New Government
Loan Bill Next-Will Press
Cooperative Sales Measure
Later.
MAY INVOLVE LEAGUE
BY MARK SULLIVAN


the program of the farm bloc is a bill
for the lending of money under gov
ernment auspices to farmers on the
security of their livestock and crops.
The proposal is to set up a mechan
ism for this, of course within the pres
ent body that manages the lending OF
money 10 farmers on their land. For
The work of the institution there will
be an initial contribution of govern
ment money, to be supplemented with
further money from the public, raised
by the sale of bonds.
This measure will go through. 1t
has the favor not only of the farm
bloc. but of some members of the
cabinet, and there is less opposition
to il than there was to the bill for
putting a representative of agricul-
ture on the federal reserve board
After this bill the farm bloc will
next push its measure to legalize and
otherwise facilitate cooperative mar
keting by the farmers. BY the time
this is out of the way we shall be in
the midst of the tariff debate.
May Split
The present expectation is that on
this point the Democrats and the Re-
puhlicans who compose the farm bloc
may find their interests dissimilar and
NAV split into their party affiliations.
The greater probability, however, is
that the farm bloc will have its way
in the tariff making.
All in all things are going very
well with the farmers. The agricul-
turaI conference to be held here next
week will stimulate interest in the
farm bureau and further their political
prosperity.
There is one possible result of the
momentum which this farm movement
has secured which might entail ex-
tremely interesting possibilities.
Practically the single purpose OF
the farm bloc in congress and also Of
the American farm bureau federation,
of which the farm bloc in congress is
merely the political agent, is better
business for the farmer
The farmers economic distress IS
the chief cause of their power and
the cure of that distress is the chief
object of their activity. :
May Revive League Issue
Now. if 1t should ever occur to the
farmers that the fundamental cause of
their inability to sell their crops lies
in the disturbed state of the world. and
that the best available cure would be
The League of Nations. either as it
stands or suitably modified, then. in
that event. there might be interesting
political developments.
A good many people believe that the
only certain way to end the existing
PARALYSIS of our foreign trade is to join
the League of Nations, and good
many others believe that Joining the
league would be at least the quickest
and surest way of restoring prosperity
II that idea should become widespread
among the farmers. the probable con.
sequences are obvious.
Already Washington gets from the
West a state of thought which ex
presses itself in the slogan, "If a
league of four nations. why not a
league of AZ nations?" This slogan, OF
course, is not an accurate comparison
If the four-power treaty with the
League of Nations. Slogans rarely are
strictly accurate but that does not
diminish their political potency
Success Menaced
One of the most prominent Republi
cans in the country says that success
FOR his party in the elections next fal
* menaced by the fact that the admin
istration in calling the Washington
conference and entering into the four
power treaty has forfeited the only
clear issue that the Republicans had
which was the contrast between isola
tion and the League Of Nations.
IT the farmers ever get the idea thai
their business interests are intimately
tied un with orr participation either
in the League of Nations altogether. o.
IN economic conferences. the effec
viii be immediate and great
Ore extremely satisfactory result o
the defererce shown to the farmers Il
putting representative of agriculture
on the federal reserve board will b.
to head off what threatened TO he on
Of the leading issues in the campaign
this year.
Headlong Violence.
A few weeks or months ago tina
issue tended to express itself in head
long violence against the whole fedora
reserve board. 1t was stimulated ant
largely led by the former controllo
of the currency. John SHELTON William
of Virginia. and Senator Heflin of Ala
bama, and also was expressed in vary
ing degrees my some Republican sena
tors in the west.
The farmer was led to believe tina
the federal reserve board had treate
him very badly His motion showe
some likelihood of expressing itself j,
cheap money movement like tha
which gave Bryan his chance near
80 years ago.
Some of Mr. Williams speeches i
criticism of the federal reserve boar
we're widely circulated by radical o.
ganizations affiliated with the Nor
Partisan league. 1t is apparent, how
ever, now that the success which tn
farmers have had in getting their va
1ous measures for financial relic
through congress has taken the edg
off the violence of the assaults th5
have been made by the politicians.
Copyright 1922 by the New York.
Evening Post. Inc.