Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-05
Sees No Need for Catering to
DWind|ing Group for Po-
IiticaI Purposes.
THINKS MOST FARMERS
SATISFIED WITH POLICY
Haugen-McNary Bill and Export
Advisory Board Measure
Likely to Pass.
3Y G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

With the agricultural organiza tons
staging their final drive for farm re-
lief legislation at the present session
of Congress- the following appears to
be the situation:
/. The Haugen- McNary bill to es-
tablish a division of cooperative mar
keting in the Department of Agricul-
ture will become a law. The bill
already has passed the House, and
the Senate committee on agriculture
today began hearings on it.
>. No legislation dealing with the
surplus crops problem Is likely to be
enacted unless it he the adminstra-
tons proposal that Federal board
be established to advise with the
farmers, and aid them to obtain the
necessary private financing to handle
eXportable surplus products.
The administration has turned its
face against the Dickinson bill. which
goes beyond the proposal that Fed
eral advisory board be established
and provides for stabilizing the domes'
tic price of staple crops and distribut'
ting the loss sustained in the export
sales to he producers generally.
REPRESENTATIVES, IItIt.
Representativ of II of the agri-
cultural States of the Middle West
are knocking at the door, demanding
that something be done to meet the
surplus crop problem. The House
agricultural committee is hearing
them today on the Dickinson bill.
The psychology Of the situation is
against those who are asking Gov
eminent aid beyond the program of
the administration in dealing with
the surplus crop problem, notwith-
standing the fact that a congressional
election is coming on and the mem
bers of Congress have their ears
close to the ground. 4
Senators from agricultural States
said today that the reason lies in the
fact that the farmers themselves, ex-
cept in Iowa and southern Illinois a nd
few other places, are not aroused.
Practically no letters are being re.
ceived by them from their constitu-
ents dema nding that Congress act to
relieve the farmers.
This is in direct contrast with the
floods of letters which came from the
agricultural States to members of the
Senate and House two and three years
ago" said q Senator today. who in the
past has been one of those strongly
urging the establishment of govern
ment export corporation to handle the
surplus crops. Conditions have i'm
proved for the farmers. They have
come a long way on the road to We.
covery since the postwar def1ation
which ruined so many of them"
Improvement General.
Inquiry among Democrats as well as
Republicans revealed the same Situa-
tiOn-the farmers. except in Iowa anu
a few other places. are not demand
ing as they did. Government entry
into the business Of handling the eX-
portable surplus so as 10 stabilize
domestic prices.
This does not mean. however, that
the surplus crop problem has been
solved. or that the farmers dollar is
yet equal in purcha sing value to that
of the industrial worker or manufac.
turer. A change in conditions might
again bring about distress which
would put all the farmers up in arms
as many are still said to be.
The farmers vote is an important
factor in the coming congressional
elections, and the Republicans must
have it or lose in a number of the
states. 1t happens. however, that the
great agricultural States of the West
and Middle West are normally Repub-
lican. many of them overwhelmingly
so. SO the political problem for the
Republicans is not so acute as it 9th
erwise might be. The Republicans
frankly say that they do not believe
that these States will swing away
from the Republican column because
they have no where else to swing"
n-x~
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