Evening star., 1924-03-31

Probably never before have there
been 50 many bills introduced in one
session Of Congress for the purpose
of helping the farmer The Norbeck-
Burtness proposal of government
loans to distr esssed wheat growers of
the northwest having failed in the
Senate, the further effort of this Con-
gress to GO something for the farmer
Geems to be concentrated upon the
McNary- -Haugen bill. AS to the de-
STABILITY of either bill a mixture of
tion's editors. But all agree that leg
islation of some kind to improve ag-
ricuItural conditions over the entire
country should be forthcoming.
In the opinion of the Duluth Her
aid. the Norbeck- -BurtneSs bill was
a very modest request 1t promised
real help, ultimately though not i'm
mediately, because it would take a
season or two for diversification plans
to result in profits The failure OF
this measure makes it still more
urgent that Congress undertake the
experiment of virtual price e-fixing pro-
poEed in the McNary-H -Haugen BILL" A
contributing cause of the defeat ac-
undoubtedly an amendment offered
by Senator Harrison Of Mississippi.
proposing to place an additional
s250O0,000 at the disposal of cotton
pianters" That the bill was sectional
caused the rejection. the Wichita
Eagle is certain; however, Congress
will not adjourn without attempting
to relieve the agricultural situation.
but the bill which passes must cover
the whole Of the United States" AL
though that sectional feeling had
something to do with the result. the
influential was the feeling that it was
not the business of the government
to provide the capital, even by way
OF q loan. for private enterprise.
Such a precedent would be full of
danger. and the democrats who voted
Rr"n''pisS its" 'nAN 'n0"' "' ''''O ~
Obviously. "if it were proper for
the government to finance the pur-
chase Of fertilizers it would be equally
proper to finance the purchase of
other agricultural machinery. or any
supplies needed on the farm con-
tinues the Chicago Daily News, which
feels "the same objection applies to
nearly all the farm-relief bills pend
ing in Congress-" To extend aid in
this way, the Utica Observer-Dispatch CHI
is confident would be ''unwise and
dangerous. because great share of
the fifty million would be expended
in sending agents through several
large states, keeping watch of poul
try yards and live stock and checking
up loans" The Lincoln State Jour
nal agrees that this loan would have
been Of doubtful advantage to the
l,xr, 70 a. NO
of. the sort is needed and would be
only fair Congress has valoriZed by
one device or another pretty nearly
everything but these staples of ag-
riculture. 1t is agricnlture's turn"
The New York World also comedies
"the plight of the staple farmer is
indeed sad. Something must be done
for him or social and political dangers
which are not pleasant to contemplate
will threaten.
whether the Norbeck- -Burtness bill
deserved defeat on it's merits will be
a question of debate, as the Detroit
News sees it, but there should be
general approval of the intimation
that congressional bodies are begin
ming to examine the merits Of pro-
posed laws and decide their fates for
reasons other than the political
strength of a group" Granting that
the Norbeck- -Burtness bill wasn't a
srecific for all the farmers ills and
that it wouldn't Immediately turn a
losing farm venture into a profitable
one,"- the Duluth News-Tribune in
sists ''it did offer a way out to many
farmers who are facing a very Sc
rious problem" In a sense the gov
ernment owed the farmer this aid,
the st. Paul Pioneer Press admits.
but it does not consider the loss of
this bill vital. as the relief it Of
fered was neither absolute nor Ger
tain and it would have been a long
time coming" but "the case for the
McNary- Haugen bill Is now more
compelling than ever. 1t is meas