The Washington times., 1928-12-19
PRO Tests
MAY Kill.
STAL KER
BILL.

Virginia farmers 2 q
threw a great big monkey
wrench into the smoothly
working legislative machine
which was about to produce a
new farmer s market in South
west Washington.
The monkey wrench took the form
Of a strong letter to their two Sena-
tors, Glass and Swanson, who have
been steering through the Senate 9
bill to locate the market in South
west washington, demanding that
the Senators oppose the bill with all
their strength and charging that the
measure is designed by special in
terests for the benefit Of the middle
man as opposed to the farmer and
the Washington consumer.
Signed BY 50
The letter was signed by nearly SO
Virginia farmers who have sold their
wares al the old Farmers Produce
Market. which was forced to move
to make way for the Internal ReVe-
nue. Building
Coming as it did from Virginia
farmers, who were supposed to favor
the Southwest location, the letter
may kill the Stalker bill, which has
already passed the House and is ap-
preaching vote in the Senate with
comfortable ma jority Of votes
Senator Glass has fought savageIy
Tor the bin In the belief that his con.
stituents wanted 1t. The bill has
been fought by Senator Tydings Of
Maryland and many Senators and
Representative primarily Interested
in the District
The farmers letter was a vicious
attack on the Stalker bill. 1t de-
manded of the two Senators tnat
leach of you, as our representatives
In the Senate from Virginia, oppose
with all the vigor at your command
and in every way, possible, the pas.
sage of this bill. "
Oppose Profits
BY stipulating that the new
market shall be wholesale
market the bill is drawn in the In
terest Of the middlemen. the letter
charged.
The law as drafted would pro-
hibit sales TO any of the large num-
ber Of consumers and other per.
farmers TO save middlenan's 8 profit, :"
the letter said. 1T would deprive
the farmers of this valuable retail
outlet for their produce.
It would place the farmers at
the very mercy of middlemen, who
would unQuestionably take advan.
tage of the situation to force down
prices which they would pay the
farmers and in turn advance the
prices at which they would resell to
consumers.
In these operations the middle.
men would reap enormous and un
justifiable profits, to the serious
injury of both farmers and con-
sumers OF Washington.
1t is well known that this biz
has been pushed in Congress by
certain large financial interests. whc
have spent large sums of money foI
spreading propaganda and employ
ing lawyers. who completely msleo
Congress.
''The effect of the bill would be
none other than 10 authorize ex-
penditure of a large sum of public
money solely for private gain and
to practically DESTROY a market
which has long been OF large bene.
alike. 1t would accomplish no pub
lie benefit whatever.
'In the face of professions of
friendship for farmers which have
been SO much proclaimed. it would
be nothing short of betrayal OF
public trust to pass the pending
BILL"
Many Objections
Several times In their laffnr the
farmers declared that location of
Washington would destroy its use
fulness. Among the reasons for
this charge they said:
That the proposed site is unfit for
a market, because it is on a hillside
and operation of a market under
such conditions would be practically
impossible.
That the site is not large enough
to accommodate more than two
thirds of the farmers.
That the site is too far away
from the consumers. mo business
man in his right senses would locats
similar enterprise in the south
west" the letter said.
Senator Glass announced today
that he would not change his
views on the Stalker bill as the re.
suit Of letter from his constituents.
He said he would continue TO advo.
cate enactment of the bill because
he believes it is the proper solution
to the problem. Nevertheless. the
letter is sure to be one of the
strongest weapons used by opponents
OF the bill when the measure
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