The Omaha morning bee., 1924-03-05
Norris Stiirs
Senate on
Farm Relief
Scores Attempt of Southern
Democrats to Add Amend
ments to Norbeck Bill
for Their Districts.
Senators Stay for Debate
By r. C. POWELL,

| Washington, March 4.-Stimulatet
by q strong, emotional address by
Senator George w. Norris of Nebras
! passage of the Norbeck $50. 1000, ,00e
relief bill, the senate launched into
an exhaustive, almost fiery debate
today over the right Of government
to advance money to any one clas,
or group of people.
| When the senate adjourned tonight
about 90 senators had been on the
floor discussing their ideas of ths
farm problem and nearly all chair.
in the senate chamber were filled. q
marked contrast from the almost va
cant appearance of the senate cham
Der yesterday when farm relief burst
ON the horizon following weeks OF oil
| scandal debate.
| Senator Norris put spice into consid
Grafton of the Norbeck bill when he
bitterly scored the attempt of south
ern democrats to add amendments to
the bill calling for additional millions
for benefit of their districts. lie chill.
Ienged their right to such appropria-
tions and pointed out the responsible
reasons for the plight Of the north.
western wheat farmer for whom the
bill was personally intended.
Objections Are Strong.
| The effect of the Norris charge TO
southerners taking advantage of pos
sible need of their votes TO put the
bill through to load 1t with millions
for use of their constituents Is prob
| lematical. In many quarters II Is as
serted II might turn southernert
against the bill II they do not get any
thing out OF It and their opposition
backed with opposition from certain
easterners rnlght cause It's death.
Certain eastern senator's objected tf
the bill on the ground that furtherins
OF tho dairy industry in the north
west by government aid furnished un
fair competition for eastern dairymen
Gooding OF Idaho announced oppo
sition because he believed the pending
| McNary- Haugen measure would Civ,
the necessary relief.
Norris opened his address by re
viewing the growth of diversified
farming in the northwest from 1911
to 1917. He produced charts to show
how wheat farmers had learned Of di
versification and had gone into diver
sified crop raising to a large extent
i Responded TO War Cry.
"Then." said Norris. tho war came
on. They were importuned to be
come patriotic. They read piacard,
and heard speeches the keynote oi
all being:
Help win the war. Raise more
wheat
His story discioses that no mar
responded more holeheartedly thar
did the wheat farmer IN doing hi
bit. He went against his best judg
ment. dropped diversified farmins
and went pell nell into the whea
business. He sold his cattle. III
dropped doing everything on th'
farm except raise wheat.
I'VE passed a bill the spirit o.
which was to make n minimum prics
for wheat in order to further stimu
late wheat growing. What hap
pened?
The agency which handled all o.
lour wheat transformed the minimum
price of wheat into the maximum
price. In other words while whea
was being sold by tho farmer fol
s220 n bushel IL was sold in Ital,
land other countries for 81 and IS pei
bushel.
United States Makes $50, 900, 900.
THE corporation set up by tn,
government to handle wheat made ;
profit OF 100000 900 from the whea
sold. by farmers. Not a cent of thil
money was returned to the farmers
The profit which should be the farm
ers' profit during the war Is les
than the amount we are asking.
After tho war the farmer. induced
to drop diversiflcation. found himsel
unable TO return to II. Thousand.
OF them are broke. They can't ever
buy a cow We are asking 70
money to loan them TO start diversl
ficntion again.
For this reason the wheat farmer
is entitled to this relief through tn
government which at it's own re
quest induced him 10 stop diversl
fication and start extensive whea
growing. Other section do not suffel
as a result OF q Hike condition ufgct
by the government and we have II,
right to make nm omnibus measur,
OF this BILL"
Senator Capper pointed out tha
the amount OF wheat necessary Il
produce barrel of flour in 1918 cos
no more than the same amount o
wheat produced In 1929.
J Yet the consumer In paying 81 81
per barrel more for flour" Cappe