Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-20
The Presidents Plea.


The Presidents Plea.
President Hoover's statement on farm
legislation, deploring the fact that some
farm organizations are again divided on
measures of agricultural relief" served
yesterday to call attention to the most
serious obstacle which has in the past
prevented the passage of farm legisla-
ton. AS the President has very properly
said, 1t should not be permitted to In
terfere now with the prompt passage Of
the proposed farm bill. The farmers are
entitled to measure of relief The bill
which has been reported to the House,
providing for the creation Of strong
Federal farm board and sterilization
corporations, is a measure upon which
all have been able to agree. When 1t
comes, however, to the intersection Of
the so-called export debenture plan,
contained now in the Senate bill. an
other situation arises.
The debenture plan, which is Gov
eminent subsidy slightly disguised, has
been sponsored by the National Grange.
The American Farm Bureau Federation
in the past was the particular sponsor
of the old equalization fee principle,
which was not Government subsidy,
but was tax upon the farmers them
selves to meet losses due to the mar
keting of exportable surplus crops
abroad. The two plans are diametrical-
ly opposed in principle. The ghost OF
the equalization fee plan was laid IN
the last presidential election. But now
the debenture plan has been seized upon
by some Of those inclined to be critics
of the administration in the present
Congress. Because the President, out OF
a due regard for the right Of Congress
to draft legislation and submit 1t to the
Chief Executive, failed TO announce his
ouposition to the debenture plan. some
of these legislators have undertaken to
assume that the President was not
against this subsidy plan. Perhaps the
administration would have been IN a bet
ter position today had the President
definitely turned his back on the de-
benture plan when committee OF the
Senators called upon him recently to
get his views regarding 1t.
The politics of the situation which
has arisen has several angles. In the
first place, there are the opponents OF
the administration on the Republican
side of the Senate chamber, Norris,
Blaine, La Toilette, with perhaps few
others. 1t is quite clear they would be
delighted to put the President "in
hole" If they could. Then, on the other
side of the aisle, are the Democrats,
thinking of future elections. If they
stand for the debenture plan and the
pending bill is passed without the
debenture plan and does not bring the
farmers the measure of relief which the
farmers expect, the Democrats have an
issue ready to their hands in the con-
gressional elections next year. There is
still a third element in, the situation
which is having its effect. Republican
Senators and Representatives from the
big farm States of the West, willing
enough to support the administration
but who must come up for reelection,
many Of them in 1880, fear that If they
stand against the debenture plan now
and the pending farm bill Is not
success, they will have strong opposi-
ton from Republican sources In their
own States when they seek renomina-
ton.
And so it is politics which again
troubles the waters Of farm relief legis-
lation. And in large measure the farm
ers themselves are to blame. AS Presi-
dent Hoover has pointed out, 1t is the
division among the farmers themselves
which has been at the root of the .difs
ficulty of enacting farm legislation.
These differences of opinion among the
farm organizations have given the poll
ticians their opportunity to throw
UIOI1kGY WICllCllCo 4lAbO UAAC y
It is time for the farmers now to put
aside their differences and to make 1t
possible for the Congress to get through
a bill which will receive the approval
of the Presidents bill which measures
up to the Republican national platform
Of the last campaign. It is time, as the
President has said in his message to
Congress, Ito make start" II further
legislation is needed, 1t can be under
taken later. The pending farm bill I'D
the House, in the belief Of the admins
tration, will be Of aid to the farmers.
It should be enacted into law.
In his plea to the farmers to stand
together, the President has struck back
over the heads Of the politicians, in the
Senate and out, who have sought to
create a difficult situation by sponsoring
the debenture plan. It is evident that II
the farmers themselves back up the at
titude Of the President, the politicians
will make little progress In their efforts
p