Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-05-16
FARM LEGISLATION
KEY TO ELECTIONS
Many Western Republicans
Fear Failure of Bills Will
Hurt Party.
BY &. GOULD LINCOLN.

The probable fate Of pending farm
legislation and its effect on the com
ing congressional primaries and elec-
ton is exercising members OF both the
Senate and the House.
II Congress fails to pass Legislation
dealing with the surplus crops and
their marketing. prophesies Of dire re
suits TO the Republican administration
and to the party generally are heard
In some quarters. Republican mem
bers fron some Of the States. particu-
Iarly Iowa and Illinois. view such a
contingency with alarm.
But on the other hand are found
members OF both houses from the
West and Middle West also who re-
gard with considerable equanimity the
possibility Of no surplus crop legisla-
ton az the present session.
Same Talk i'll 1924.
IL was recalled yesterday that SIM
i;.i. nrophecies Of defeat for the Cool
idge administration and Republican
mem bers of Congress We're frequent in
| 1928 because the original MCNary-
! Haugen bill had failed in Congress
! controlled by the Republicans. The
| farmers then had suffered through
three leans years. But the elections
Of 1924 returned to power the Repub-
lean administration by an enormous
vote. Great gains were made BY the
Republicans in Congress also. III farm
legislation does fail, and there is an
effect on the congressional elections 1t
will likely result in the victory of
more radical Republicans in the West
ratnc.. than the election OF additional
Democrats.
It Is claimed that the failure Of the
Faugen bill vii! materially aid for
n1a!, Senator Brookart, enemy of the
administration, in his race for the Re
publican nomination for the Senate
against Senator Cummirs. The
primaries in IOWA take place June :.
Iowa has been the storm center OF the
demand for farm relief legislation.
Those oposing surplus crop legislation
would be glad to see 1t laid away to
7ast before the Iowa. election.
Primaries Cause Delay.
Tho Pennsylvania primaries, al
which the entire State delegation in
the House must be nominated, have
/ been responsible in part for the de-
lay in voting OH the Haugen bill in
the House. II had been expected to
Gis1 ose of the farm bills before the
close of last week. But practically
all the members Of the large Penn
sylvania, delegation, opponents OF the
Haugen hill. have been in their OWE
districts for days.
The fate Of farm les islation viii De
determined this week. On Tuesday
the House Will resuu Q consideration
Of its tripie-headed farm program and
will endeavor to lop off two OF the
heads so that the other may survive
and be sent to the Senate.
The ITauEen bill. with its revised
S176. 900 900 revolving fund TO be useu
in handling surplus crops so rs 20
maintain adequate prices ana ITS
equalization fee. is beaten, according
to estimates of strength made BY con
gressional leaders.
President Opposes Bill.
| This will cause the administration
no pangs. The President and his
Secretary of Agriculture have been
| steadfastly set against this measure
It remains to be seen whether one
| OF the two other bills reported to the
| House. the Tincher Bill or the Curtis
| Aswell bill, can be passed, or whether
| a combination of the two can COM
mand sufficient strength.
! Whatever the House does with
/ the farm relief bills, the Senate will
| be called upon to consider the bill now
on the Senate calendar. reported from
i the committee on agriculture by Sen
| atolo AIcNary Of Oregon. This is the
! House bill providing for the creation
| Of a division of cooperative marketing
| in the Department Of Agriculture, plus
an amendment authorized by the Sen
ate committee setting up Federal
| Farm Advisory Council and providing
a. revolving fund of $3.50. 900, to be
| used in maintaining prices II there
The a surplus. with an equalization fee
TO be charged against the producers.
This amendment Is q modification of
the old McNary HauGen bill.
Success Depends OH House.
II the House fails TO pass any leg
| islation dealing with the surplus crops
| il !s not likely that the Senate amend
ment to the bill setting up a division
| Of cooperative marketing would have
any chance OF being accepted by the
House. even should the Senate agree
! 20 this amendment, which is doubtful.
But il may be possible to save the
bill for the establishment OF a DIVISION
of co-operative marketing, bill
fathered by the administration and
supported by many Of the great farm
co-operatives of the country.
The administration is willing to &C
cent. the Tincher bill, with its $780,
| 600 900 revolving fund to be loaned to
the farm co-operatives to aid in the
more efficient and better marketing of
surplus crops But the supporters Of
! The Haugen bill declare that the farm
ers do not need further loans; that
what they need is d system which
! will enable them TO meet the losses
! which will inevitably occur if surplus
crops are TO be marketed abroad.