Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-17
Politics at Large
By C. Could Lincoln.


dent Hooyer's message had been read
to the Senate and House yesterday, a
farm bill running parallel in the main
to the Presidents ideas was ordered
reported to the House by the House
committee on agriculture. The provi-
sions Of the bill had already been APP
proved by the committee by a vote Of
10 to 2. and yesterday action was
merely formal. But It was also signifi-
cant. The House apparently, with its
huge Republican majority, Is going
along with the President in both his
farm relief program and his plan for q
limited tariff revision.
X X \ 4
Signs of revolt appeared in the Sen
ate, however. The Senate committee on
agriculture discussed the adyisability of
placing in its bill the so-called ex-
port debenture plan, fostered first by
the National Grange, as an alternative
proposition. Mr. Hoover did not men,
ton the debenture plan by name in his
message. Some of the members of the
Senate committee took the view that
as the President had not given formal
disapproval of the plan, he would not
be opposed to- it. However, the fact that
the President, In outlining his plan for
farm aid, did not name the debenture
plan as a measure of relief, was suffi-
Gent indication to others that he does
not wish the debenture plan included
In the bill. The House committee Is
opposed to 1t, and SO, it is believed, is
the House.
The Senate committee on agriculture
contains a group which is inclined to
make trouble for the administration
side number of the Republican pro-
gressiyes, headed by Senator Norris
of Nebraska, not to mention several
Democrats, who would not be averse
to seeing the Hoover machine halted
in its smoothly running career quite
early in the game.
kK+ ~
It is not clear yet just how far the
Senate committee or the Senate itself
Is going in opposition to the Presi-
dent In his farm relief plan. 1t is GER
tain, however, that even If the COM
mittee does not include in its bill the
debenture plan, it will be offered as
an amendment from the floor of the
Senate and that fight over 1t will
enSue. If the President expresses his
of the debenture plan, as
1t is believed in some quarters he will,
and the Senate should insist upon
placing it In the farm bill, the lineup
may be the President and the House
against the Senate. Such lineup
may not inure to the credit of the
Senate. In the first place, an attempt
by the Senate to throw monkey
wrench into the program of the new
administration would cause long de-
ley. That might be distinctly unpopu-
lar with the farmers who have been
waiting now these many years for
administration to get the proposed
Federal Farm Board and the increases
In tariff duties in favor of farm prod
ucts in operation in time TO help the
farmers with this years crops.
The Senate committee on agriculture,
1t is reported, has placed in its bill
which have been suggested
by the Farmers Union and the Amer
lean Farm Bureau Federation. And
If 1t accepts the debenture plan of the
National Grange it may have gone far
toward lining up these important farm
behind its bill. However,
these farm organizations have indi-
Gated in the past they are willing to go
along, generally speaking, with the
Hoover administration in the matter of
farm relief legislation, reserving always
the right to fight for something more,
If this legislation does not prove the
benefit to the farmers that has been
promised.
The House is strongly organized. It
IS not unlikely that the House, which
In recent years has been more or less
showed into the background by the
Senate, may be perfectly willing to go
TO the mat with the Senate both on
the farm relief bill and the tariff bill, if
the Senate insists upon running counter
both to the House and the President
IN these matters. 1t is quite clear that
there can be legislation even submitted
to the President for his approval or
without its first being
passed by both houses of Congress.
If the Senate sets itself up as the
obstructionist body it is likely to come
in for great amount of criticism
from many sources in this country.
Individual Republican Senators are
showing a Discrimination already to 90
along with the Presidents views on
tariff revision and farm relief. not to
his recommendations that the
national origins clause Of the immigra-
ton act be suspended and the bin for
the reapportionment of the House be
put through. Senator David A. Reed of
pennsylvania has come out strongly
against the proposed limitation on tariff
revision on the ground that many of
pennsylvania manufactures need more
protection than the House and the
administration may be willing to con-
cede. He is strongly against suspension
of the national origins clause, too.
fhere are Senators from States which
VIII lose representation in the House
who are against the passage of the
reapportionment bill. It is not difficult
to understand that with the trading
practices which are sometimes brought
INTO play in the Upper House various
olocs opposed to this legislation or favor
ing that may be welded into a mass
which might play hob with the admin
Stratlons program. The Congress met
Monday. Outside of hearing the Presi-
dents address the Senate has done
practically nothing so far. It meets
again tomorrow, but the indications are
hat 1t will adjourn then until Monday.
so, the first week of the session will
nave elapsed with practically nothing
lone.
X
1t has been some time since the House
held the whiphand in legislation
md dominated the situation in WASH
ngton. The House has just been elect
ID. 1t holds an immediate mandate
rom the electorate, while only third
IT the Senate was involved in the re-
,ent unpleasantness, which placed Mr..
Hoover in the White House. On the
,ther hand, seven or eight new Repub-
lean Senators were elected, swelling
he Republican majority in the Senate. |
These new Senators may make the |
course of the administrations program
much more smooth in the Upper House
han 1t would have been under the |
conditions which prevailed in the last
congress. Indeed. there is little doubt |
# that.
The President has in his hands the |
huge Federal patronage lever. Few
federal offices have been filled since
lie entered the White House. And Sem |
49,.