Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-06-28
Highly Doubtful or Benefit.

when Congress recessed last Wednes-
day, the net result of the work of two
months was the passage Of a farm bill of
highly doubtful benefit to agriculture, the
passage Of a reapportionment bill, delayed
nine years from the taking of the last
Federal census, and the passage by the
House of bill revising the tariff upward,
under which it is estimated between
$600,000.000 and $8OO,OOO,O0O will be
added to the annual living expenses of the
American public said Representative
Joseph W. Byrns. of Tennessee. Chairman
OF the Democratic National Congressional
Committee, in a statement made public
recently.
The profeSsed purpose of the special
session Of Congress called by President
Hoover was to pass legislation to place
agriculture on parity with industry. That
there can be no question about this.
qoute Senator Borah, who, more than any
one else, influenced President Hoover to
call the special session. During the recent
Senate debate on his resolution to limit
tariff revision to the agricultural schedule
Senator BOrah said f: The great dominating
questions in the campaign we're the pro-
lection OF the farmer. economic equality
for the farmer, and speedy relief for the
farmer. The special session was called for
that purpose
The farm bill which was passed is a
bill the farmers themselves did not want.
Principally it provides for lending money
to farmers. so that they may become that
much more deeply involved in debt and
add correspondingly to the burden Of
interest payments they will have to meet
The bill is substantially the old Jardine
bill, which the Coolidge administration
sought to pass of on the farmers and which
they would not have. So that the so-called
farm relief legislation which the Hoover
administration has. after much labor, Given
to agriculture is the same bill the farmers
might have had at the hands of the Cool
idee administration three or four years AGO.
What the farmers themselves think Of
the record Of the special session of the Re-
publican Congress is plain from the con-
demnation of that record in the resolutions
OF the Corn Belt Committee of the Corn
Belt Federation of Farm Organizations
which met at Des Moines on June II last.
OF the Hoover farm bill, the House bill
which was finally passed. the resolutions
said:
1--WE. the members Of the Corn Belt
Committee, which speaks for more than
a million organized farmers, desire to say
that, in our opinion, the so called House
farm relief bill does not manifest
the slightest effort to make theitariff effec.
tive in behalf Of our surplus farm COM
modities, and without this the pledge Of the
Republican party to assure equality for
agriculture in the last campaign becomes
utterly farcical
The tariff bill which the Republican
majority of the House. acting under a gag
rule. passed and which is now being con-
sidered by the Senate. is even more objec-
tionable to the farmers than the farm bill
itself. 1t not only adds from six to eight
hundred million dollars year to the cost of
living Of the American people, but actually
increases the disparity between the little
protection the farmer gets and the high
duties on the commodities he must buy,
including steel, farming implements, cloth
ing, and other necessities That Republi-
can members Of the House who represent
agricultural districts will be punished for
betrayal Of their constituents in voting for
the House tariff bill is made clear in the
Corn Belt Committees resolution on the
subject Of the tariff. The resolution says
with reference to the House tariff
revision bill. we desire to 90 on record as
saying that it is the most indefensible
measure of the kind ever offered in the
history of Congress. Pretending to revise
the tariff in the interest Of agriculture,
certain selfish interests have been promised
new advantages which are without con-
science or reason and which, if enacted
into law. will mulct the consumer the
farmer included. out of hundreds of millions
OF dollars Of additional tribute per year.
IN connection with both the pending farm
relief and tariff legislation, we have a
feeling bordering on contempt for certain
Corn Belt Congressman who, throughout
the special session. have acted as mere
messenger boys for special privilege
The members Of the Resolution Com
mittee are officers of farm organizations
in Minnesota. Iowa. Nebraska and Kansas.
Il repeat, the record Of the special session
Is a pseudo-farm relief bill the farmers
might have had from President Coolidge a
year ago. and tariff revision bill which
will add hundreds of millions of dollars
annually to living costs, nearly one-third Of
which will be paid by the farmers them
selves. Further comment is unnecessary.
Takoma Park Siding Casa Is
Postponed.