Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-17
BY q. GOULD LINCOLN.
<@IKE'S PEAK OR BUST" has
- been translated by North
western farm organizations
4 meeting in st. Paul last


week into 1.-The McNary-
Haugen farm relief bill or nothing.
The opening gun has been fired by
farm organizations intent upon this
legislation. It will be followed up at
other farm meetings during the
Summer and Fall and when Congress
meets the lobby here in Washington
in favor of the McNary- Haugen bill
will be in full swing.
The McNary.Haugenites passed the
bill through both houses of Congress
in the last session. They believe they
can do it again. The hold of the
administration on the Senate will be
even simmer than it was at the last
Congress, and in the House the regu'
lsr Republican strength has been
somewhat lessened, though it still has
control.
Were i'm Position to Deal.
One thing aided the supporters of
the bill which may be lacking in the
coming session of Congress. The
legislative situation was made to
order" for them. 1t was a short SEES
sion of Congress. The branch bank
ing bill was in a jam along with the
McNary- Haugen bill and several
other measures. The McNary- Haugen'
ties were in a position to deal with
their opponents. That was in reality
the only reason the farm bill was
ever brought to vote in the Senate
in the last session. The coming ses.
sion of Congress is bound to be one
of the busiest in years, particularly in
the Senate, where weeks and months
may be consumed in the contests over
the seating Of Senators-elect Frank L.
Smith of Illinois and William S. Ware
of Pennsylvania. 1t may take some
real work on the part of the McNary.
Haugen people to force the measure
to a vote.
If the measure comes to a vote it
doubtless will pass both houses again.
The Democrats will be anxious to
put the President in hole" and the
fnsurgent Republicans will be no less
anxious. Probably more so. Those
who oppose the denomination of the
President will be along with the other
supporters of the bill
=. The st. Paul meeting was attended
by leading Democrats from the cotton
South as well as by Republicans of
the corn and wheat belts. It took a
wallop at President Coolidge because
of his veto of the McNary-Haugen
bill and charged him with reputation
of the Republican platform on which
he was elected President. The oppon-
ents of Mr.. Coolidge will use the Nc
Nary-Eaugen bill as a club against
him with all the joy in life.
Two Concessions Made.
Two concessions were made by the
McNary-Haugenites at st. Paul. While
they insisted upon the repassage of
the measure, they conceded that the
members of the Federal Farm Board
proposed should be nominated by the
President as he saw fit. and not from
lists of names prepared by farm or
CARNATIONS. They eliminated also the
names of the staple crops and farm
products as the only beneficiaries un-
der the bill. leaving it possible to go
to the aid OF any farm crop or produce
that needed aid. To this extent the
supporters of the bill yielded to the ar
guments of the President in his veto
message. They hope also to gain the
support of farmers who produce other
crops than corn, wheat, cotton, rice
and hogs.
But the so-called equalization fee,
which Is to be collected from the farm.
ers themselves to meet any losses that
may accrue from the marketing OF sur
Mus products sold below the price OBJ
tanned in the domestic market, still
stands in the bill demanded by the st.
Paul meeting. This has been declared
unavoidable and economically unsound
by the President.
What's the administration going to
do about it? No one knows positively
The President is in the West, observ
ing conditions at first hand, seeking
inspiration for solution of the farm
problem. The Secretary Of Agricul
tIire is in the West also. Perhaps
when they return to Washington q
program will be mapped out. In the
last session of Congress the admins
tration let the matter slide, leaving to
Congress the framing Of farm relief
bill, When it finally acted, the Presi
dent knocked the bill out with a veto
Bill "SoId" to Farmers.
no difficulty is that the admins
tration has put forward no definite
remedy of its own for the rarm-sur
plus bill. The McNary Haugenites, or
the other hand, for four years have
been hammering away among the
farmers themselves in an effort tc
convince them that their bill is rem
sdy for their troubles. Many farm
err has shouted for the bill without
knowing much more than its name
However. it has been sold to them
without any substitute.
Now that the administration appears
to be anxious to get something done
in regard to the surplus-crop problem
it finds itself in an awkward situation
There liz no demand for any other leg
isiation than the McNary Haugen bill
The administration wishes, however
to be requested by the farmers to pass
some other kind of measure-thf
Curtis Crisp bill. for example. But
the farmers know little, il anything
about that measure. They are MOI
demanding 1T, though they might Il
they were educated up to the point.
One factor that has been with thu
administration in the long fight over
farm relief legislation is time. As thu
years have passed the condition OF the
farmer has improved. 1t Is far better
than in 1924. With better prices ant
fair crops. the farmers in many cases
have been able to pay their debts
some OF them to make money. That Il
the only reason that the veto of thu
McNary.Haugen bill by the Presiden
wan taken with comparative calm b,
the agricultural States Of the Middle
West and the West early this year
1t il the only reason that the farmer
have not been up in arms over thu
matter. 1t appears now that TIN
wheat crop this year is to be large, a
fair prices: that the corn crop will b.
smaller, at higher prices, and that tn
prices of cattle are higher than the,
have been for years.
Balance Against Farmer.
But Notwithstanding the improve
ment in the actual condition Of tn
farmers, due to good crops and in
creased prices, the balance is still
against them when 1t comes to com
pairing the dollar OF the farmer to tn
dellar of the industrialist. Further
more, the farm leaders point out tina
there lie nothing to prevent the farm
ars from facing another terrible sluml
and starvation prices for their proc
uce. They want some definite p!al