Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-28
DEMOCRATS BACK
FARM RELIEF BILL
Chances of Passage of Nc
Nary-Haugen Bill by Con-
gresS Much Brighter.

Democratic support for the McNary.
Haugen farm relief bill is rolling up
rapidly in Congress. It was learned
today. Chances of the passage of the
measure through both Senate and
House have frightened, and opponents
of the bill are frankly disquieted by
the strength 1t is showing.
Senator McNary of Oregon. chair
man of the committee on agricul-
ture and one of the authors of the
bill, expects to call the bill up in
the Senate next week. In the House
assurance has been given to Repre-
sentative Haugen, in charge of the
bill, that a special rule for it's con
sideration will be brought in as soon
as the last of the appropriation bills
has been disposed of.
Vote I'm Senate Close.
In the Senate the bill lost last
June by a margin Of only six votes.
A shift of four votes would have
carried the measure at that time. n
shift of three votes. had Vice Presi-
dent Dawes voted for the bill. as he
was expected to do in the event of
a tie, would have been sufficient.
Now it appears that six or eight
Democratic Senators who opposed
the bill at the last session are ready
to vote for 1t.
canvass of the situation in the
House has led to the belief that while
many of the Southern Democrats will
vote first for the CrispCurtis bill as
substitute for the McNaryHaugen
bill after the Crihp bill has been de
feated they will vote for the Haugen
bill In fact. one estimate of the
-kt tn tc, hnt xxyill
pass by from As to so votes.
Presidents Position.
While the McNary Haugen bill.
with it's equalization fee, has been on
the black list at the White House i'm
the past, President Coolidge has made
no direct statement in opposition to
the measure. The belief is growing
that if it is passed by both houses
and sent to him for approval he
will not veto it.
The pressure in the agricultural
States for the enactment of such
legislation has grown with the passing
months. The farm problem has been
on the doorstep of the administration
ever since President Coolidge took Of
flee. If it can be disposed of in
manner satisfactory to the farmers
the Coolidge administration will be
greatly strengthened in the West. II
the farm problem is not disposed of
by the enactment of satisfactory leg
islation then the candidacy of for
mer Gov. Lowden of Illinois for the
presidential nomination in 1928 is like
ly to gain strength.
While the supporters of Gov. Low
den for the Republican nomination
might very well be glad to see no ac-
ton taken at the present session of
Congress on the McNaryHaugen bill,
believing that such situation would
aid their candidate, they could not af-
ford to oppose action on the measure.
Amendment Suggested.
A suggestion has been made in sew
eral quarters that an amendment be
offered postponing the action of the
equalization fee for one or two years.
In that event, the revolving fund of
$3.50, 000, 900 would be used directly to
stabilize the prices of the five major
farm products mentioned in the bill.
It is said that such an amendment
would likely be accepted and would
aid in the passage of the bill.
Senator Harrison of Mississippi
will offer an amendment to establish
a system of insurance with regard to
COIIOn as d SUBSTITUTE lOT the eQudllLd-
ton fee on that crop.
Senator Mcclellan of Tennessee,
Democrat. one of the first Southern
supporters of the McNary -Haugen
bill, today expressed his qualification
at the progress which the measure
is making.
The cotton situation in the South
has been instrumental in bringing
many Southern Democrats to look
with favor on the bill. The banks in
cotton-producing States in many cases