Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-28
PRESIDENT HEARS
PLANS To GIVE AID
To j. 6. FARMERS
Necessity for Action I'M
pressed on Harding-Ab-
SenteeS May Beat Ship
ping Measure

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.-Meas-
llres to relieve the financial plight
of the farmers and curb profiteering,
particularly in food and clothing,
were discussed Saturday with Presi.
dent Harding by Senator Watson,
Republican, Indiana.
The visit of the Indiana senator
to the White House followed a con.
ference with a number of western
senators over q possible legislative
program acceptable to the west.
Picturing to the president how the
farmers are generally unable to get
enough for their crops to pay for
harvesting and shipping while con-
sumers pay high prices, Senator
Watson urged the immediate neces.
sity of some forceful program to put
agriculture on it's feet and squeeze
out the long line of prof1t-taking be-
tween producer and consumer.
Senator Watson's view is that any
program of relief for the farmer
must go further than the questions
of freight rates, interest rates, and
tariff rates. While these may have
part in the farmers dilemma, the
senator declared that "the man who
produces food and clothing can get
very little for it, while the man who
needs to buy it has to pay an un-
considerable high price, Mr.. Wat
son told the president that he fav-
Ored the pre-, ram for agricultural
credits, but that he feared it would
not strike at the root of the ques-
ton.
Loans Only Palliative
If producers were compelled to &C.
cept ruinous prices for their cattle
and crops, he argued. loans would
be only palliative and he urged
that while the financial distress of
the farmers was being temporarily
, relieved by liberal credits, an ex-
haustive study be undertaken to find
some practicable means of bringing
producers and consumers together
and eliminating large profits in be-
| tween.
Senator Watson also told Presi-
dent Harding that he already had
| undertaken a study of the anti
profiteering laws of other countries.
So far as his study had proceeded,
the senator said, he did not believe
price fixing by government or any
other agency would be successful,
but he was inclined rather to a
plan which would expose profits Ill
along the line and depend on an
aroused public opinion to grant rea-
sonable profits to business and at
| the same time drive out extortions
Marking in plain figures the
wholesale prices Of articles of food
and clothing transported in inter.
state commerce, so that the buyer
at retail may see what profit he is
being asked to pay to a retailer, is
one of the plans which Senator Wat
| son is examining.
President Harding listened to SEN
ator Watson with deep interest az
the latter pictured potato crops
abandoned; fruit crops compelled 20
rot and grain crops unmoved while
farmers faced mortgage foreclosures.
Some definite plans are to lie dis
cussed with the president later and
meanwhile, Senator Watson said the
program of agricultural credits and
other measures for temporary relief
would be fastened in congress.
q Ship Subsidy
The assurance given the presi-
dent last week by Representative
Mondell, republican leader, that
there were votes enough to pass it
the ship subsidy will put the opposi-
ton to work with renewed vigor.
Both factions figured closely on the
probable vote to be cast Wednesday
for and against the bill. opponents
asserting that unless the admins
tration was able to lineup and
count all its absentees it might be
beaten. Many absentees are seeking
pairs.
AS ranking democrat of the
( n erchant marine committee by
which the bill was drafted Repre-
sentative Hardy of Texas made the
principal assault on it Saturday. He
was joined by Representative Frear,
Republican, Wisconsin, Represen-
tative Garrett, Tennessee, the
Democratic leader, and others,
while Representative Mondell, the
Republican leader. and Chairman
Madden of the appropriations COM
mittee, were among many Repub-
licans speaking in it's defense.
An assertion by Mr.. Hardy that
" ere is not a paragraph in the
bill that was not framed by the
steamship owners" was denied by
Representative Edmonds. Pennsyl-
vania, ranking Republican of the
merchant marine committee, who
declared he personally, had
written many of the provis-
ions and that they were not put
there at the behest of the outside
influences. Breaking INTO the
wrangle, Representative John NJ
Nelson, Republican, Wisconsin, said
he had received information that
virtually every demand of the
shipping interests had beeA incor-