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Show I ;" Congress Agricultural Bloc Harmless; I : Social Bloc the Real Menace I By SENATOR W. S. KENYON of low. Tlie go-called agricultural bloc in congress is nothing more than a meeting of members from states, in which agriculture is one of the greatest industries, to talk over the need of the farmers. Thero is a social bloc in Washington that offers a real menace. Well meaning men from many stateB go to congress to accomplish ac-complish ccrtain'ttriuge, but 'they find tho tremendous influence of the social bloc too much for them. I sec no particular harm in the sitting down together to-gether of the senators from the West and the senators from the South to talk over agricultural interests, and that )b all there, is to the so-called bloc. They are doing nothing to injure any other industry or interest, not working against any other bloc, but I trying to arrive at some satisfactory action that will assist agriculture. I The secretary of agriculture and the secretary of commerce have met with tho bloc and talked over variouB matters and no one dreamed it was such a terrible thing to do. Tho senators have been derided, because they I llid not go to tho older party leaders and ask : "Please, Mr. Leader, may I we pass this little bill for the benefit of agriculture?" Instead, they have I gone ahead and done things. I And what about the other blocs the lumber men, bankers and otho I groups that eoino together naturally when matters come up concerning I their interests? What has dono more to influence legislation in Washing- I ton that any other influence is the social bloc. Tho agricultural bloc prevented the adjournment of congress last July, and thus is responsible for legislation itccomplished since. It produced pro-duced the war finance corporation legislation and the packers' bill. Measures Meas-ures for loaning money to farmers and assisting them have beon passed. As to the future program of tho bloc, it favors a co-operative marketing mar-keting bill, placing a practical farmer on the federal reserve board and establishing a system of rural credits with longer term loans. |
