Evening star., 1928-12-18
DEMOCRATS TO AID
FARM LEGISLATION
viii Cooperate in Congress
\ on Relief Bill to Handle
= Export Excess.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

With assurances that there will be
some agricultural legislation at either
this or the special session of Congress,
Democrats are preparing to cooperate
with the Republicans in framing a
measure to handle the export surplus
problem.
Whatever else the last campaign may
have accomplished, it did serve to ac-
centuate the need for an agricultural
program, and the leaders here know
that President-elect Hoover is firm in
his determination to carry through on
this campaign pledge if Congress does
not dispose of it in this session.
Peek Discusses Situation.
The process by which agricultural
legislation has been forced into the sit
uation it is in today is another inter-
esting example of boring from within.
George N. Peek who was responsible
for the McNary- -Haugen agitation and
who was behind the demonstrations
made at the Kansas City convention,
went over to the Democratic side and
after getting the Houston convention
to accept platform plank which he
wrote. then organized the farmers dur
ing the campaign. What his work
meant in actual votes cannot be esti-
mated, but it had its effect in the
regions where Senators and Repre-
Sentatives now are aware of the Senti-
ment that has been developed.
Future Effects Estimated.
In other words, the agitation did
not affect the presidential election, but
if undiminished may affect the COM
plexion of the next Congress. The Anti
Saloon League was the first organiza-
ton to array its forces so that it could
WELD a club over both parties and this
was followed by the agricultural bloc
which, however, was legislative group
and did not have back of it the COM
bined efforts of the farm organizations
because they themselves could not agree
on a plan.
Now, however, as it is APPARENT that
the equalization fee must be eliminated
there is a better chance Of getting
agreement on an agricultural program
to handle the surplus than ever before.
Now Backing Party Pledge.
Many of the Democratic members OF
Congress who were lukewarm on the
subject before have now come to point
where they will stand back of the DEM
ocratic platform pledge, and it would
be much easier to get two-thirds vote
today on a bill without the equaliza-
ton feature than at any time in the
last four years. In other words, even
without presidential Endorsement agri-
cultural legislation would come to the
front. This condition is due in large
part to the tactics of the farm leaders
who have concentrated on getting sup
port by playing one party against the
other-tactics that are often deplored,
but nevertheless get legislative results,
especially when one section OF the
country, like the East, proves itself re-
luctant to regard the agricultural prob
lens of the Middle West as paramount
and deserving priority over all other
pending questions.
Show Faith in Hoover.
The Middle West in voting for Hoover
expressed through men like Gov. Nc
Mullen of Nebraska and Senator Brook
hart of Iowa the belief that the Hoover
administration would go as far as the
Democrats in getting a solution OF the
agricultural problem. This places the
Democrats now in the position OF Will
lingneSs to put their program up along
side that of the Republicans. And the
chances are that non-partisan meas
ure. like the recent revenue law, will
be the result, especially if the subject
is left for the extra session and the
President elect calls the Democrats into
conference before rivalry of programs
can develop-a suggestion that is heard
in the cioakroomS of Congress nowa-
days and which has the sympathy of
farm leaders who are not interested III
parties as such, but in results.