Evening star., 1928-12-14
LoWden Speaks.

~
Illinois and the American Farm Bureau
Federation, both strong supporters in
the past of the equalization fee prin-
ciple of the McNary-H -Haugen farm aid
bill, have come out fiatfootedly in favor
of the enactment of farm legislation
in accordance with the Hoover plan
for farm relief. Gov. Lowden's opin-
ion, expressed in q letter, which he
wrote recently to the president of the
Illinois Agricultural Association, is that
the American people in the recent
election settled the matter effectually.
Mr. Hoover, in his campaign addresses
declined to accept the equalizat ton fee
principle, the principle that the cost
Of distributing surplus crops should be
allocated to the producers Of the crop.
Gov. Smith, on the other hand, while
he did not give the machinery Of the
! equalization fee his Endorsement, did
agree to the principle Gov. Lowden
sensibly takes the stand that in view
of the overwhelming support given Mr.
Hoover by the farmers of the West, 1t
is only right that Mr.. Hoover's ideas
in regard to agriculture should be car
ried out.
| Had it not been for the opposition Of
Mr.. Lowden and the American Farm
Bureau Federation during the last ses-
sion of Congress, a farm bill which
President Coolidge could have and
would have approved might easily
have been put through Congress The
withdrawal Of their opposition to the
Hoover plan for farm relief, which in
the main is on all fours with the
ideas Of President Coolidge, seems to
! insure the prompt passage of farm
legislation, which for one reason or
another mas been held up for years
During the last session of Congress 1t
was politics that was the chief obstruc-
zionist OF farm legislation. 1t was
understood that President Coolidge
would veto again the McNary -Haugen
bill, If it retained the equalization fee.
But the opponents of Mr.. Coolidge and
Mr.. Hoover, who happened also to be
supporters of Gov. Lowden and Vice
! President Dawes for the presidential
| nomination, insisted that the bill con-
tanning the equalization fee should go
through, or that nothing should be
done. Their aim really was to take
the issue into the national campaign.
In this they were successful, first at
the Republican national convention In
Kansas City. where the McNary- -Hau-
| genites were routed. and later in the
presidential campaign and election.
/ Gov Lowden has wisely undertaken
to recommend that farm legislation be
put through. even though it does not
accord with his own ideas of what is
/ the better course In such legislation.
1t is time, indeed, that the farmers
were accorded some measure OF aid
from the Federal Government. Mr..
Hoover and Gov. Smith both recog-
nized during the recent campaign the
ldTHl pIOUicHb as u nldJOf ptOUiCIH UA
the country today. Both made prom
ises that legislation should be enacted.
To hold up the program proposed by
Mr.. Hoover and accepted by the coun-
try in a campaign that featured the
| farm problem would be mere stupidity.
1t would show the United States Gov
eminent as entirely unresponsive to
the will of the people as expressed at
the polls.
Both Mr.. Lowden and the American
Farm Bureau Federation take the po-
sition that farm legislation should be
dealt with in a special session of Con-
gress after Mr.. Hoover shall have become
President. This, too, Is sound Mr.
Hoover will have to administer the
laws which are enacted for the farm
ers. and he should have hand In
their making.