Evening star., 1928-08-02
Rate by Mail-Payable In Advance.
Member Of the Associated Press.
A Bid for the West 7

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Democratic national committee. is fiirt-
Ing with the farm belt committee Of
twenty-five, through its head, George
n. Peek. The Democratic chairman Is
quoted In dispatches as saying he had
failed to find the equalization fee plan
Of the McNary- Haugen bill unecononl-
ical. The Democrats not unnaturally
would like to drive a wedge into the
Republican States OF the West.
In their national platform the Demo-
Gratis at Houston agreed to consider
seriously the principle Of the McNary-
Hausen farm aid bill if they are placed
In control of the Government. They did
not commit themselves finally to the
plan. nor were they asked to do so by
Mr.. Peek and other farm leaders who
had been demanding such pledge from
the Republican national convention
two weeks earlier. Gov. Smith has
agreed to give the whole farm problem
careful study after he shall have been
elected President, so as to be in po-
sition to recommend to Congress legis-
latiye action soon after his Inaugural
ton. should he be successful at the
polls.
Mr.. Peek is to confer today with the
Governor Of New York himself, in an
effort to convince him that the princi-
ples of the farm relief legislation for
which the corn belt committee has la
bored are sound. He hopes for words
of encouragement In the Smith speech
of acceptance. TO be delivered when the
governor is formally notified Of his
nomination on August "a.
It is probable that Gov. Smith VIII
seek to give encouragement to the farm
ers in his speech accepting the norni-
nation without actually committing
himself to the principle Of the equaliza-
tior fee. But should the Democratic
nominee come out fiatfooted for the
fee plan there would be a stir not con-
fined to the farm States Of the West.
The farmers of New York State, for ex-
ample. through their organization, are
On record In opposition to the McNary-
Hausen bin and its equalization fee.
The people Of the Eastern industrial
States generally are unfavoraole 10 a
plan wfaioh they regard as Government
urice-fxing Of foodstuffs. President
Coolidge has twice in veto messages de-
elared that the McNary- -Haugen bill
was unconstitutional, and he has mucn
support for this contention.
Nor is the West unit in favor OF the
-Haugen bill. A direct referen-
Gum of the measure to the farmers
themselves alone could draw a correct
uicture Of the situation. Even that
might fail to do so, for there are liter
ally thousands Of farmers who DO not
know. beyond the name. what the NC
r-4ry-Haugen bill and the equalization
fee really are. Senator Borah OF Idaho,
in an able. speech before the Repunh-
can national convention at Kansas CITY,
r oared the farmer as little better than
the slave Of bureaucratic government
under the 9eration OF the equaiizasioh
fee.
More and more the reports roll IN
from the West that Smith has no
chance In that section Of the country
II is little wonder the Democratic lead
ers are seeking in some way to turn the
tide In the great States west OF the Al
Iegheny Mountains. The Tammany
M -mbers Of the Senate and House voted
in most instances for the McNary-
Haugen BIN at the last Congress. But
that was to emSarrass President Cool
idge ami Mr. Hoover rather than win
any idea the hill eventually would be-
come law. It remains TO be seen
whether the Tammany nominee Tor
President will declare himself in favor
Of such legislation.