• 1296 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-_ HOUSE JANUARY 7 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES be to equalize· the advantages conferred by om: Federal Government, giving to all our people equal opportunity and the same legislative favor l\{oNDAY, January 7, 19~9 enjoyed now by a few favored people. This is the very heart of the farm problem. The House met at 12 o'clock noon. Men are saying that the new Hoover administration will do more The Chaplain, Rev. James Shera Montgomery, D. D., offered ro give a square deal to agriculture than the Coolidge administration the following prayer : has done. Often I have stated my belief that President Coolidge is an 0 God of the ages, Thou who are infinite in love, in wisdom, honest man, honestly desiring to work for the welfare of the American and far too wonderful for human understanding---every noble people, and often I have similarly expressed myself as to our incoming task completed enlarges the soul of the doer and increases the President, Mr. Hoover. They talk about equality for the farming in­ joy of the world. As partakers of the djvine nature, suffer ~s terests, but neither is willing to give to the American farm that not to.fail because of inherited tendencies, acquired vices, or evll justice which is its due, because if the Amel'ican farm should be given habits. We believe that it is a consummation of an eternal plan full justice in the matter of tariff legislation-well, if that should be to bring together all things in Thee ! Oh, may our souls burst in done, it would necessarily mean the withdrawal of many special gladness and praise before the purpose and the abundance of our privileges now enjoyed by the manufacturing industry under our present God. Take our powers unemployed, our ideals unfulfilled, and tariff policy. To that unfair tariff policy both President Coolidge and our possibilities unachieved and let them exult with rapture ·in President Hoover are irrevocably committed. the heavenly delights of soul and sense. Be with all weary What will be the character of any farm-relief legislation which hearts and travelers who are on the hard, hard road; keep them may be enacted during the present session of the Congress, or at a until they reach the hilltop of eternity's morning. Amen. later session to be called by President Hoover? I do not know. But I do know what it will not be. Of all the.measures which have appeared The Journal of the proceedings of Saturday was read and ap­ in Congress in recent years for the relief of agriculture only two of proved. them struck at the heart of the farm problem. Those two were the MESSAGE FROM THE SEN ATE McNary-Haugen bill and the bill for an export premium or debenture A message from the Senate, by Mr. Craven, its principal clerk, plan. I think this debenture plan was promoted largely by Representa­ announced that the Senate bad passed a concurrent resolution tive KETCHAM of Michigan, although I have regarded Representative of the following title, in which the concurrence of the House is MARVIN JOl\"ES of Texas· as its primary advocate. 'rhe Coolidge admin­ requested: istration would not let either plan become a law. Neither will the S. Con. Res. 28. Concurrent resolution relating to the election Hoover administration permit any such legislation to live. Still re­ of Pre~ident and Vice President of the United States. garding both Coolidge and Hoover as honest men, one must not forget EDITORIAL FROM THE COLUMBUS DAILY TELEGRAM WIDTTEN BY HON. that their view of the farm problem is the view of big business. Big business is not willing to surrender the advantages it now enjoys under EDGAR HOW.ARD, OF NEBRASKA existing tariff law and tariff law interpretation. Naturally increased Mr. BUSBY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to prices for farm products would mean increased prices for raw address the House for one moment. material which big business manufactures into its own articles of The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request? [After commerce. And so it is that the owners of American farms dare not a pause.] The Chair hears none. look toward either Mr. Coolidge or Mr. Hoover for any legislation Mr. BUSBY. Mr. Speaker, there has come to my hands a which shall not meet the favor of big business. very unusual editorial written by one of the Members of this Mr. Hoover thinks in terms of commerce. He dt·cams of a vast House on the live subject of farming. It is a nonpartisan edi­ commercial empire. He is almost obsessed by this dream. IIe thinks torial, it deals in a frank and very fair way with the subject. of agriculture only as an incident to the commercial fabric. His real It is so unusual in its merits that I ask unanimous consent to mind was disclosed in a statement be made a year or more ago, long extend my remarks by incorporating this editorial as a part of before be took the stump in the late campaign. In that statement be my remarks. said that " the way to settle the farm problem is to balance agricultural Mr. U!\TDERHILL. Mr. Speaker, I did not quite hear the production to the needs of the country." Now, let us carry that thought gentleman. to its legitimate conclusion and see where we shall arrive. The fair Mr. BUSBY. The editorial is written by a Member of the conclusion is that such a policy would sturve agriculture down to House, and signed by a Member of the House, and I desire to where it would merely supply the needs of the business interests, with extend my remarks by incorporating it in them. never any surplus to send abroad, and in the end agriculture would The SPEAKER. Is there objection to the request of the become just what big business wants it to become-simply a feeder to gentleman from Mississippi? [After a pause.] The Chair hears the commerce of the country. none. 'While I am always an optimist and never a pessimist, yet I can Mr. BUSBY. Mr. Speaker, under the leave to extend my re­ not feel justified in expressing to my Nebraska people any earnest marks in the RECORD, I include the following editorial from the hope for worth-while farm legislation during the coming year. From Columbus Daily Telegram of Columbus, Nebr., on the subject of my touch with the leaders who are supposed to speak the views of farming, written by Bon. EDGAB HowABD, a Representative President Coolidge and the incoming President I gather that such legis­ from the State of Nebraska: lation as may be enacted will be nothing more nor less than a plan [From the Columbus (Nebr.) Daily Telegram) to loan more money to the farmers, the loaning program to be engi­ neered by some sort of a farm board to b.e created in connection with WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE YEAR the proposed new farm legislation. In my view such a plan could not I am trying now most particuLarly to discover what the year shall carry any material relief to agl'iculture. However, in the absence of have in store for those who have for long years been hoping, dreaming, anything better, I shall support such a farm bill as may be offered by and working for Federal legislation to insure a square deal for the President Coolidge during the present session of the Congress, or any .American farm. farm bill which may be offered by President Hoover a:t an extra ses­ It now seems assured that some sort of farm legislation will be ac­ sion of the Congress. In taking this course I shall be supp01·ted by the complished in 1929, either during the present session of the Congress belief that most anything in the nature of legislation to aid agt·iculture or at a special session to be calle<l by President Hoover. But when I might improve the present unhappy condition of that great ~ustry. know that such legislation will be promoted by one of two Presidents, EDGAR BOWARD. neither looking at the ·farm problem through other than commercial CONSENT CALENDAB eyes, I frankly confess that I can see but faint hope for anything in the nature of real farm relief. Everyone admits the unbalanced con­ The SPEAKER. The Consent Calendar is in order, and the dition of agriculture. All thinking people know that the disparity ex­ Clerk will call the calendar. isting between the profit earned by farm owners and the profit earned BRIDGE ACROSS THE- MISSISSIPPI AT OR NEAB THE CITY OF by those who are engaged in many other branches of industry is unfair BATON ROUGE under a form of Government founded upon the equality of its citizens. The first business in order on the Consent Calendar was the More than 80 per cent of the wealth of the United States is located bill ( S. 2449) to authorize the construction of a bridge across within less than one-fifth of geographical area, that one-fifth zone of the Mississippi River at or near the city of Baton Rouge, great wealth being primarily an industrial area. The people within in the parish of East Baton Rouge, and a pDint opposite thereto that zone do not work harder to produce their large profit than the in the parish of ·west Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana. people in agricultural sections work to secure their smaller profit. The The Clerk read the title of the bill. difference is that the people in the so-called industrial zone have for The SPEAKER.