Evening star., 1935-03-24
WALLACE TOF|GHT
FUND BILL RIDER
Will Ask Senate Group to
Delete Ban on Depart
ment Books.

Secretary of Agriculture Wallace
tomorrow will go before the Senate
Appropriations Committee in an ef-
fort to prevent three Kansas flour
millers" from getting through a rider
to the agriculture appropriation bill
which would stop the issue OF educa-
tional literature on foodstuffs through
the Bureau of Home Economics and
other bureaus of the Department OF
Agriculture. Wallace's plan was an
nounced officially at the Agriculture
Department yesterday.
The rider Is reported to have been
tackled onto the appropriations bill
at the insistence of q representative
of three Kansas flour milling COM
panies. 1t would. In effect, prevent
the publication of educational litera-
ture on foodstuffs by the department
Several organizations, including the
American Home Economics Associa-
ton, the League of Women Voters and
the Federation Of Women's Clubs have
asked to be heard when the hearing
on the bill and its rider opens tomor-
row morning.
Rider Denies Funds.
The rider provides that no part
OF the funds appropriated by this
act shall be used for the payment
of the salary of any officer or en-
ploye of the Department Of Agricul-
ture /" who issues or causes to
be issued or to be made public any
statement, oral or written, which
advocates reduced consumption Of, or
which asserts that it is harmful or
undesirable to use, any wholesome
agricultural food commodity or any
manufacture thereof. ."
1t is contended by these groups,
as well as officials of the department,
that this rider would prevent circula-
ton of educational literature on diets
They point out hundreds OF persons
die from pellagra in the South each
year and that pellagra is caused by
eating an over-abundance of corn
molaSses and pork. II the rider is
passed with the bill, neither the Bu-
reau of Home Economics nor any
other agency being paid for out OF
the appropriation Of the department
could advise against this unhealthy
diet, without fear of wiping cut the
entire function of the bureau.
Several prominent dieticians, who
we're quoted before the House Com
mittee on Appropriations, also will
appear before the Senate committee
tomorrow to give their opinions OF
the rider, it was said.
Among these will be DR.. E. v. Nc
Collum professor of chemical hygiene
Johns Hopkins University. The Amer
ican Home Economics Association of
ficialS claim that DR.. McCollum viii
deny that he favored the rider, al
was represented to the committee ir
the House.
Circular Started Row.
Where the whole bone of contention
| was originally dug up was in a circu.
lar issued by the Bureau of Home Eco.
nomics in which four diets were ad'
vocated. The representative Of thu
! millers claimed this circular was detri.
I1IC1Idl " JIit AOuL dIlu Wllcdb lIlOUS
try. He claimed that through such
literature, the department was cutting
the consumption Of wheat and wheat
! products. officials Of the bureau claim
that the balanced diet as advocated
in the circular would actually increas.
the present consumption of cereals
including wheat
1t was pointed out at the depart
ment that in the beginning only 2 .50t
| such circulars were printed and tha
1t was felt that this was too many
After the campaign against the book
let was started by the -four millers
representative. the department ha
had to order two additional printing.
to meet the demand.
The rider also would seriously affec
the whole farm program as planned
I by Wallace and his aides. it was said
Under its provisions, the department
could not advise a balanced 'feedins
of live stock for increased production
Of milk. eggs. beef and other farm
| products. Under the present set-up
the farmer is advised to use less grair
and more green food and forage
The diets as outlined and advocated
by the bureau. according to official.
Of the bureau, are based largely upor
the capacity of the human and ami
NAL stomach. They contend that IL
order to get sufficient number of cal
orieS-2,850 per person per day-th,
amount OF other foodStufis Is neces
sarily limited.
Recommendation Limited
This, however, does not apply in tn
diet as advocated for about 40 PEI
cent Of the population. This diet
which is arranged for persons will
lower incomes, would use preponder
ance of cereals and cereal products
Balanced between the four diet Sched
ules as printed in the circular, tn
department claims that about $500,
600 900 pounds more Of wheat woult
be used than is now used in tn
! American diet. AS the schedule move
into the higher salary brackets. tn
wheat, or cereal content of the die
is lessened, however.
The department, as well as the or
ganizations fighting the passage o
the rider, claims that the representa-
tive of the three millers took onl.
those excerpts from the circular whicl
would best serve as arguments agains
the bureau and that he failed to quot
other passages which would justify tn
bureaus action.
1t is also claimed that American
families now spend 19 per cent Of theil
food money for -four and cereals ant
the products made from them. II tn
dietary plans of the bureau were fol
lowed they claim "a ner cent of thu