Evening star., 1927-03-26
NEW FARM RELIEF
DRIVE PLANNED
Peek, Leader of Recent Nc
Nary-Haugen Campaign,
Goes West.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Definite plans for the new nghf TO
secure McNary- Haugen farm legis-
lation are about to be formulated.
George n. Peek of Illinois, chairman
of the Committee of Twenty-Five, who
was the spearhead of the successful
drive for legislation in the late Con-
gress, has just left Washington for
Chicago. There he will discuss the
situation with other members of the
North Central States Agricultural
Conference"
The conference" is the powerful
official farm body which is waging
the battle for "a national program to
establish agriculture on an ECONOMIC
parity with other industries" 1t rep
resents farm organizations in Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,
Minnesota. Missouri, Montana, Ne
braska, North Dakota, South Dakota
and Ohio.
Protest Meetings Held.
The ink OF President Coolidge's veto
signature, at the end of February,
was hardly dry before Midwest farm
organizations cleared for action, de-
signed to rebuild what the veto de-
molished Activities have been par
ticularly vigorous in Indiana. There
throughout March daily meetings of
protest have been held in respective
counties under the militant chair
manship of William II. Settle, presi-
dent of the Indiana Farm Bureau
Federation. These meetings are TO
be kept up until every agricultural
nook and Granny Of the State has been
melted to fresh determination along
McNary. .Haugen lines.
At st. Paul on May 2, the first
Statewide farm convention, called to
protest President Coolidge's veto, will
be held. Minnesota Is reported to be
in unusually belligerent mood. Sena-
tor Henrik Shipstead, the Farmer
Labor party's sole representative in
the upper house of Congress. is ex-
pected to be on hand and address his
embittered agricultural constituents.
May Call Governors.
Gov. John Hammill of Iowa con-
templates calling a meeting OF gov
ernors of a dozen or Il States
throughout the corn and wheat belts.
The exact time and character of this
meeting probably will be determined
after Chairman Peek of the Commit
tee of Twenty-Five has reported the
Law of the land at Washington. Not
only farm organizations in the West,
but business bodies like Rotary
Clubs. chambers of commerce and
bankers associations are said to be
ready to march shoulder to shoulder
with the agricultural people to achleVe
at Washington next Winter the re-
suits narrowly missed because OF the
Presidents veto.
L.,
he more force behind a McNary-
Haugen bill next time than ever be-
fore--unless weather this Summer
should kill surplus crops and raise
prices to higher levels--it is fore
shadowed that attack will be along the
line Of a general assault against the
tariff. The speech delivered by Repre-
sentative Dickinson, Republican, or
Iowa. in the House on March clearly
discloses this trend. There is also to
he a. good deal of crusading against
Government paternalism" on behalf
of banking. railroads and labor, with
corresponding discrimination against
agriculture. These tactics will in
voIve bombardment of the Federal Re
serve System, the Interstate Com
merce Commission, the Immigration
laws and the eight-hour statute. The
fact that President Coolidge vetoed the
farm bill and signed the McFadden
banking bill the same day is to be
cited as typical Of Washington pres
ent hostility" to farm relief. Mr..
Coolidge's recent sanction of higher
tariff on pig iron. with resultant in
crease in price, has riled farm leaders
and furnished them, they say, with
new ammunition.
Grain Prices Rose.
Almost Immediately after the Nc
Nary.Haugen veto, prices of corn,
wheat and other products shot up
wards on the Chicago Board OF Trade.
Farm leaders are suspicious of the
aforces,'' that brought this about. They
saw they remember how prices went
up during the presidential campaign OF
1924. reaching peak just before
election day. only to descend after
wards to figures which many consid-
cred as normal supply.and-d demand
level.
tcopyriRht. 1927
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