Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-25
Minority Party Senators Con-
fer, Seeking Common
Ground for Stand.
MAJORITY EXPECTED
TO FAVOR MEASURE
Few Dissenters Who Will Vote
Against Proposal Believed to Hold
Balance of Power in Fight.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

As Democratic Senators met in con-
ference today in an effort to find some
common ground on which they may
stand with relation to the pending farm
relief bill. 1t appeared that a sufficient
number Of Democrats would vote against
the debenture plan to kin it in the
Senate.
No effort was made to bind the
Democratic Senators to any provisions
of the pending bill or to any measure.
Following the conference, it was dis
closed that many of the Senators
favored the debenture plan.
However, while a majority of the
Democratic Senators may be expected
to vote for the depenture plan in the
Senate. there will be an appreciable
number who will oppose it.
Six Democratic Senators have indi-
Gated clearly that they will not vote for
the debenture plan. They are Sen
ators Kendrick of Wyoming and Rams
dell of Louisiana, who voted in COM
mittee against the debenture plan. and
Walsh of Massachusetts,. Copeland and
Wagner of New York and King of Utah.
There are a number Of other Demo-
cratic Senators who have said they were
inclined to vote against the proposal,
although they have not finally made up
their minds. In this group are Sen
ators Broussard of Louisiana and Hawes
of Missouri.
Copeland Move Discussed.
There was some discussion at the
conference today of the proposal of
Senator Copeland = of New York to sub
stitute the old equalization fee plan of
the McNary-Haugen bill of the last
Congress for the debenture proposition.
The sentiment of the majority, how
ever. appeared to be against an at
tempt to revive the equalization fee. on
the theory that 1t was not practicable
to write it into law.
The conference of Democrats held
today was the first Of a series of such
conferences. At the conclusion of to-
days conference Senator Robinson. the
Democratic leader and chairman of the
conference, made the following state
ment:
THE conference was called to dis
cuss the bill now before the Senate re-
lating to farm relief. It is not con-
templated that any attempt shall be
made to bind the members of the con-
ference to vote for or against any par
ticular provision or measure. The dis
cussion in the conference disclosed the
fact that many Senators in attendance
believe that the incorporation of the
debenture plan will prove Immediately
helpful.
Tariff Relation Recognized.
"The relation of the tariff to the
subject OF farm relief is recognized in
view of the Presidents purpose to ask
revision of some schedules. My per-
sonal feeling Is that it is probable the
farm situation will be made worse as q
result of tariff legislation at this time.
Unless the debenture or some simpler
plan Is made possible, the result of
any tariff revision which may be fairly
expected will be to increase the cost
the farmers must pay for necessary
manufactured commodities. 1t is ex-
peoted that further conferences will
be held from time to time in order
that Democratic Senators may become
acquainted with the viewpoints of their
associates and function as intelligently
and effectively as may be practicable.
'The-chairman of the conference
was authorized to request the co-opera-
tion OF the commerce committee and
of other Senators in relation to emer-
gency amendments to the flood control
act of 1928. particularly with respect
to the provisions relating to compen-
sation for howage rights in spillways
and emergency protective works on
tributaries.
IS G. o. p. Members Of Senate.
''yvhile there was some discussion of
the equalization fee plan, in my opinion
1t was not believed to be practical to
secure its incorporation in the pending
BILL
The makeup of the present Senate
is SIS Republicans, 80 Democrats and
one Farmer-Labor Senator. Senator
Shipstead Of Minnesota, the Farmer
Labor Senator, will vote for the deben-
ture plan. Polls of the Republican
side of the Senate indicate that not
more than IL Republicans will support
the debenture plan. This weuld leave
43 Republicans voting against the de-
benture plan, with six Democrats also
voting In opposition to that plan. There
would be total Of 49 votes against
it to possible 46 votes in favor Of 1t.
The indications today are there will
be less than IL Republican votes cast
for the debenture plan and more than
six Democratic votes cast against it.
In view Of these circumstances it does
not appear the debenture plan can be
adopted in the Senate.
While the Democrats were meeting in
party conference, some of the Repub-
lican leaders of the Senate met with
Senator Watson of Indiana, the Re-
publican leader, and informally decided
to oppose the debenture plan and to do
all they could to prevent its final in
clusion in the bill.
A three-hour attack upon the farm
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